


The Uninvited Love Interest

by CaptnSlash



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Crushes, Hidden Feelings, M/M, Post-Nogitsune Stiles Stilinski, Spark Stiles Stilinski, Stiles Stilinski Feels Guilty, no malia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2017-11-22
Packaged: 2019-01-10 20:29:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 30
Words: 34,540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12307143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptnSlash/pseuds/CaptnSlash
Summary: This story is set between seasons 3B and season 4.Stiles feels guilty about what happened with the nogitsune and blames himself for Allison's death. Lydia makes a call to Jackson because she knows he can relate and she hopes that he can help Stiles out. Jackson travels from London and tries to help Stiles accept what happened. Hidden feelings come to the surface.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've been in a Stiles/Jackson mood ever since I saw that clip of Jackson and Ethan. I came up with this idea one night when I couldn't sleep and I've been working on it the past few days. I hope you like it.

Stiles didn’t move when the window to his bedroom slid open. He continued to stare up at his ceiling and he hoped the newcomer would turn and leave as quickly as possible. He wasn't in the mood to go traipsing through the preserve in the middle of the night, or to do research on some supernatural creature that was now targeting Scott and the pack because the wind blew a certain way.

Just the thought of those two scenarios exhausted his mind. 

He had no idea what time it was but he suspected it was somewhere between two and four in the morning. It was technically Friday so he would have been required to go to school if not for the teacher workday that the administrators planned months prior. Stiles didn’t care about any of that. He just knew he got to hide his face for three entire days.

“Stilinski? Are you alive in here?”

The familiar voice caused Stiles to stir from his ruminations. Only one person called him by his last name, two if he counted coach, but he didn’t expect either of them to ever set foot in his bedroom. Coach still treated him like he was only one rung up on the totem pole from Greenberg and he knew the man would never have any reason to be in his home.

“Jackson?” He asked finally, his voice raspy from lack of use.

“In the flesh.”

Stiles turned and blinked at him. “Am I asleep? Is this some kind of confused sex dream where I think we’re about to get all gropey only for the dream to turn into a nightmare and you kill me, or worse, I kill you?”

Jackson was quiet for a long moment. “Well, we’re both awake and this isn’t a dream. Do you want to discuss why you’d be having sex dreams with me in them?”

And just like that, Stiles knew this was all too real. “Shut up. You know I was talking about a nightmare scenario. Why are you back in Beacon Hills? Why are you in my bedroom?”

“Lydia sent for me and I guilted my dad into letting me spend my school break here. He thinks I'm hanging out with Danny.”

Stiles motioned around the room when he wasn't satisfied by the answer. “Danny isn’t here.”

“No shit. I’m here in your bedroom at three in the morning because Lydia told me you’d be awake and that I should see you as soon as I got in.”

Stiles sat up on his bed and he ran both hands through his hair. He was tired but not tired enough to sleep. If he woke his father up after having another nightmare, he was sure he’d be sent to Eichen House and left there long enough to be forgotten about. He wasn't big on living at the moment but that didn't mean he wanted to be eaten by one of the residents. 

“Lydia sent you here?” Jackson stared at him and Stiles recognized the pity almost immediately. “Oh, I see. She told you what happened and you wanted to come see the freak show for yourself.”

Jackson walked to the desk chair and he spun it around so that he would be able to face Stiles before he took a seat. It squeaked slightly and Jackson found himself wondering if it was loud enough for a human's ears to pick up. “Stilinski, you’re not a freak show. What happened wasn’t your fault any more than my turning into a kanima was my fault.”

Stiles clapped his hands together and put on his best fake smile.

“Got it. We’ve bonded over our shared experience of being forced to commit murder against our will. You can tell Lydia you’ve fulfilled your duty. I’m not suicidal or homicidal and today is going to be exactly the same as yesterday. Happy?”

“No, I’m not happy. You’ve been through something…”

“I was possessed by a demon. It used me to kill Allison and Aiden.”

“You're going through something complicated and it's okay to feel bad about what happened as long as you realize you were forced. You were assaulted.”

“Did London make you smarter or something?”

“I’ve always been smart.”

“A _smartass_. You’ve always been a _smartass_ ,” Stiles corrected.

“Takes one to know one.”

“I plead the fifth.” Stiles replied. 

Jackson smiled. Stiles didn’t. 

Jackson made a promise to Stiles right then and there that he wouldn’t go back to London until the guy smiled like he used to.


	2. Lines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles confronts Lydia over the telephone. When Jackson won't leave, he resorts to mountain ash and the power of his spark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a weird chapter. I was in a bit of a bad mood when I wrote it so some of that might have come through.

Stiles held the phone to his ear as he sipped on a can of soda. “You traitor! You sent Jackson here? What if he annoys me and I burn the house down with both of us inside? Are you sure this was a smart idea, Lydia?”

Lydia was patient with him because she knew he was having a difficult time. “You’re not going to set your house on fire with the both of you inside. Jackson can empathize with what you’ve been through."

"Jackson doesn't know the meaning of the word empathy," Stiles retorted. He smirked at Jackson’s rolled eyes and waited for Lydia to agree with him.

She didn't. "Stiles, he’s the perfect person to help you see that you weren’t responsible for anything that happened. You were victimized.”

“Yeah, I’m a victim. I’m hanging up on you now.”

“Bye.” She said, too polite for the situation.

“Bye.” He hung up the phone and looked over at Jackson. The werewolf was sitting on the couch and using the remote to channel surf. 

“Told you I’m not leaving,” Jackson said smugly.

“She didn’t say you had to be my shadow.”

“She didn’t say I could put you out of your misery either. Stop trying to provoke me.”

Stiles knew deep down that Jackson would never hurt him. He might growl and could resort to scratching, but Lydia would beat his ass, werewolf or not, if Jackson touched a hair on his head. "Fine. I'm going to take a shower."

"Want me to be your shadow?" Jackson asked. "We could revisit the topic of why you're dreaming about me." There was something in Jackson's eyes that made Stiles want to say yes. But he wasn't going to give his oldest enemy the satisfaction of ever finding out about his crush, even if the guy was in town trying to do him a solid. It wasn't like Jackson would ever be interested in a relationship and Stiles was in no state to even attempt such an impossibility.

He was done with falling for the wrong person.

"Thanks for the offer, but my right hand works just fine."

"Enjoy the party." Jackson settled on a live soccer match and avoided making eye contact as Stiles headed upstairs. He grabbed a clean towel from his room and went into the bathroom. The sheriff had already left for work and Stiles was thankful he didn't have to explain Jackson's presence to him until later in the evening.

He made a mental note to text Lydia later and ask her if his dad knew about any of this because he was going to get a heavy dose of payback if the man was part of the ambush. Stiles stood under the hot water and he let the steam fog up the room. He placed both hands on the wall and let out a loud sigh.

He found himself staring at the water as it slipped through the drain. He wished he could go with it. He knew Jackson wouldn't understand that it wasn't just about the people he helped hurt and kill or the fact that one of those people had been his friend. It involved the whispers between his classmates at school as he passed in the hallway. It involved the guilt he felt and the looks of pity and concern that his friends gave him.

All he wanted was to disappear.

He headed back downstairs twenty minutes later. He was dressed in an old pair of sweatpants and a Captain America sweatshirt. He sat down on the couch next to Jackson, a buffer cushion in between them. Soccer was still on.

He could feel Jackson's eyes on him. He buried the feeling until it became unbearable and he grew self-conscious. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Just say it."

"You look like you've lost weight. You're not eating."

"Because I'm not hungry. I eat enough to stay alive."

"I could cook you something."

Stiles shook his head. He rested his head against the back of the couch and closed his eyes. He couldn't imagine eating anything with the way his stomach felt. 

"You should go."

"Nice try," Jackson said.

"You're not interested in hanging out with Danny? Go. He's got to be more fun than hanging with me."

"No, I'm good."

Stiles opened his eyes and looked at him. "It's okay, Jackson. You can leave and come back. I'm not gonna be dead when you get here. I'm messed up but I couldn't leave my dad like that."

Jackson met his eyes. "So you've thought about it."

Stiles turned his attention to the game and watched as Manchester United scored. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his sweater. "I could make you leave."

"Yeah? You're welcome to try."

Stiles accepted the challenge. He pictured the mountain ash in his bedroom coming to him. The sound of the plastic jar bouncing on the stairs drew Jackson's attention. The jar landed at the base of the stairs and Stiles directed the ash with his intent, willing it to overflow from the jar and then rush toward Jackson in a firm line.

Jackson leapt up from the couch and moved away as the ash advanced. "How are you doing that?"

"I had a really old demon in my head and the connection worked both ways. I learned quite a bit about magic, even stuff as basic as this, while I was walled away in my own mind." 

The ash pushed Jackson towards the door. It paused long enough for Jackson to glare at Stiles. "Knock it off, Stilinski."

"There's a part of me that likes this. Maybe the nogitsune rubbed off on me a little too much. Bye, Jackson. Thanks for stopping by."

Stiles watched as Jackson opened the door and walked through. The ash raised from the floor and pushed the door closed. Stiles smirked at his accomplishment and then pictured a circle of ash around the house preventing anything supernatural from getting inside. 

He got a call from Lydia ten minutes later and ignored it. He turned his attention back to the game and quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to write this as Stiles being embarrassed that Jackson has to be there to help him. Look for threads of that to start to show up in future chapters, too. 
> 
> This chapter also raises the possibility that the Nogitsune left something behind in Stiles. It's an idea that I want to play with a little. Thanks so much for reading!


	3. Sparked

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles loses his cool with his father and he and Jackson come to terms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been infatuated with Spark Stiles for a few months now. This chapter features my take on how he does what he does. More will be explained in future chapters.

He opened his eyes and felt a chill move through his body. He gasped when he saw Jackson sitting on the couch again. "Didn't I kick you out?"

"You fell asleep and then your dad got home. He broke the barrier and invited me in. He's not happy with how you treated me."

"We're not friends."

"That's enough," John said, walking in from the kitchen. 

"He had a restraining order, dad. I'm just stating the obvious."

John put his hands on his hips and he looked at his son like he was five years old again and had been caught running through the house one too many times. "You don't threaten people that travel from far away to see how you're doing, son. And you don't use mountain ash on people that aren't trying to hurt you."

"It was a low level energy field. It wasn't strong enough to hurt him. I used it to make a point. He should be spending time with people that matter. To him, I mean."

"You matter," John promised. "Now, what do you want for dinner? I'm thinking spaghetti because I don't burn it like everything else I try to cook."

"Sounds fine."

"Jackson, would you like to join us for dinner?"

"I'd love to," Jackson answered. Stiles groaned in objection and earned another glare from his father.

"You were in on this," Stiles realized. "You knew Jackson was coming and you thought what? That we'd bond over the amount of people we murdered?"

Jackson looked to the floor in embarrassment over the reminder of his misdeeds. Stiles stood up and started walking toward the stairs. His father stepped in his way and refused to move.  
"We need to have a private discussion."

"I'll pass. Hey, don't they need you at the station again tonight? Fifth time this week."

"No, it's covered."

"Their loss," Stiles answered. "Please move."

"Not until we have a talk."

Stiles stared at his father. He felt his anger rise and his mind was focused only on one thing: getting to his room. An invisible force lifted John in the air and pushed him a few feet to the left. He landed there on his own feet, surprise painted on his face. 

Stiles took advantage of the opportunity and went up to his room. He closed and locked his bedroom door and collapsed onto the floor, all of his energy spent. Tears began to fall from his eyes and he wiped them away, ashamed.

He could hear his father talking to Jackson downstairs but he couldn't make out what they were saying. He heard the front door close a few minutes later and a knock at his own door not long after.

"I don't want to talk, dad."

"He left. He went to the store to get the stuff to make dinner. I told him we'd be on the same side by the time he got back."

"I accept bribes," Stiles offered. "How much cash have you got?"

Jackson ignored him. "Please open the door. I need to see that you're okay."

Stiles knew it was a werewolf thing. He knew it wasn't that Jackson genuinely cared about him as much as the werewolf sensed the weakness that Stiles felt. Stiles got to his feet and opened the door.

"Still in one piece. Are you happy?"

"You look exhausted."

"Unfocused magic weakens me."

"That's how you moved your dad?" Jackson asked.

Stiles shrugged. "Mostly. One night I was having a nightmare. My dad came into my room and I was levitating three feet off my bed. Deaton says it's just my spark being activated from the high emotions."

"Spark? I think Lydia skipped a few details." Jackson brushed past Stiles and sat in the desk chair. Stiles walked to the bed and sat down.

"It's like gasoline. I can use it as fuel for magic. I inherited it from my mom's side of the family. Any human can use mountain ash but I can add my spark to make it stronger. Or I can levitate, set things on fire, or push my dad out of my way. It takes a lot of control to use it. It's why the nogitsune possessed me over Scott and Allison."

"What do you mean?"

"It wanted to use my spark. It just didn't know how to tap into it. If that had happened so many more people would have died. I wasn't powerful enough to stop him or keep him from possessing me. So you see, it really is my fault."

"I'm not buying it, Stilinski. You're stronger than you look."

Stiles didn't know how to respond to the compliment. He looked at Jackson and found himself wondering why he traveled so far. "Why would you come here? It's a long trip for a guy that you don't even like. And don't try to tell me that you did this for Lydia because she's not as persuasive when you're not around her."

Jackson shrugged. "It sounded like you needed help. I guess I felt like I owed it to you after everything you did to save my life."

"I didn't do that much."

"You did more than enough. And you did it even after I treated all of you like crap."

"No argument there. God, my dad is gonna be pissed at me."

"No, your dad isn't like mine. He knows you're going through a rough time and that you need support. That's why I'm staying in the spare bedroom while I'm here."

Stiles supposed he could put up with the guy for a week. He gave it that long before Jackson lost interest and wanted to go back to London.

"Alright. I promise to try to be a little nicer."

"Sounds good. Me, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You kinda have to feel bad for John. He just wants to help his son but he doesn't know how. Good thing he teamed up with Lydia and brought Jackson to town. I don't know whether or not John knows how his son feels about Jackson, but I figure he'll start to have thoughts on the subject soon. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Grave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles visits Allison's grave and Jackson tags along. They run into Scott.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. I have a few more to edit and I'll probably upload them over the next day or two. And there's plenty more for me to write. Thanks for reading!

"Hey, son. How are you feeling?"

"Dad? You're here. Again."

John nodded. He put down the Saturday paper and took a drink from the coffee mug. "Yep. I took today off. I thought we could have a movie marathon like we did when you were little. Just no Star Wars."

"Sure. Uh, can we do it in a few hours? I need to go somewhere with Jackson and we can stop by the movie place and grab some videos to rent."

"That would work fine, son. I'm also sorry about what happened last night. I pushed and I didn't think..."

"I'm sorry, too."

John stood up and he hugged his son. He patted him a few times on the shoulder before he let go and returned to his seat. "Where are you and Jackson heading off to?"

"The preserve. He thinks I need to breathe in some fresh air."

John smiled. "Alright. Want some breakfast before you guys leave?"

"Nah. We'll veg out on popcorn in a few hours."

Stiles waited until his dad was distracted before he slipped out. He got in the jeep and drove off without waiting for Jackson to catch onto the plan. It felt freeing to be out of the house and by himself, but that didn't mean he was interested in seeing anyone he knew. He spent the fifteen minute drive in silence and arrived at the cemetery just after the groundskeeper opened the security gate. 

Stiles drove slowly on the road and pulled off when he got close to the right section. He still associated the cemetery with Isaac and he wouldn't have been surprised to see the guy appear just to give Stiles a hard time. 

The grave had just started to sprout grass though it was still mostly a mound of dirt. The air was crisp and Stiles put his hands into the front pockets of his hoodie as he approached. There were a couple bunches of flowers there and a rock sat on the gravestone just above Allison's name. He felt like his being there was enough to intrude on her ability to rest in peace, but he had things he needed to say and he refused to leave until they were spoken.

"I'm so sorry, Allison. I didn't want any of this to happen. If I had been stronger or realized what was happening then you might still be alive right now."

His eyes started to well up with tears. He kneeled down and used his hand to brush a couple of leaves off of the gravestone. "I think you'd tell me to forgive myself if you were here, but I can't accept that. This is my fault."

"No, it’s not your fault."

Stiles looked up and watched as Jackson approached. His face looked red and he was a little out of breath. "You ran here? How did you follow me?"

"I talked to your dad and he told me you ditched me. I connected the dots and ran after you. I caught your scent a few blocks from your house and followed you here to the cemetary. I knew you came here to talk to her."

Stiles looked back at the grave next to him. "This is a private conversation."

"That's bull. You're here to justify and rationalize your guilt in all of this and it's a complete lie. You have no blame in any of this. The demon that tormented you and Allison is the one at fault. It's not her fault she died and it's not your fault that you didn't know what was happening. You are too good of a person to accept that blame."

Jackson kneeled down next to him. He put his hand on Stiles' shoulder. "We both know she wouldn't want you to blame yourself."

Stiles was at a loss for words. He knew that Jackson was right.

He didn't understand how easily Jackson could say everything that needed to be said. Stiles looked in his eyes and saw understanding in them. "You've changed."

"For the better, I hope," Jackson declared. He removed his hand from Stiles' shoulder and stood up. He offered that same hand to Stiles. "Let me help you through this."

Stiles took the offered hand and stood. He wanted to say something when Jackson's eyes looked past him and his jaw tightened. Stiles could hear the motorcycle as it approached and he didn't need any guesses to tell him who was on it. They stood and waited for Scott to park.

He approached them with daisies in his hand. They were wrapped in pink cellophane that crinkled as he held onto them. Scott looked at Jackson and then at Stiles and his demeanor hardened. "What are you doing here?" Scott interrogated.

"I had some things to say. Jackson followed me here."

Scott looked at Jackson. "Lydia told me you were back in town. She wouldn't tell me why."

Jackson shrugged. "I don't owe you an explanation."

"That's not...I know you don't. You look good."

It was the wrong time for Stiles' jealousy to flare up but the green-eyed monster is not so easily controlled. He took an instinctive and protective step toward Jackson. "He's staying with my dad and me. Jackson's helping."

Scott calmed down and accepted the answer. Stiles began to wonder if Scott understood what Jackson was doing there. "That's good," Scott said. He approached the grave and put the flowers into the overflowing flower holder.

"The flowers are pretty."

"She liked daisies," Scott explained.

The three of them stood there in silence for a few minutes and put their issues on the back burner as they remembered their friend. Stiles was ready to go by the time a light rain began to cover the ground.

"We're gonna go. See you."

"It was nice seeing you," Scott said to Stiles. They parted without another word. Stiles unlocked the passenger door for Jackson and then got behind the wheel. He started the jeep and turned on the heat.

"We can skip the movie marathon if you're not up for it. Your dad will understand."

Stiles shook his head. "No, I think I need it. But we're going with horror movies. I don't need another reason to cry."

"Sounds like a plan. But no werewolf movies either."

"Deal."

They went to the same video store that Jackson had been in when Peter attacked in wolf form. It was the only one in town and it had a decent selection since it was privately owned. Jackson helped Stiles pick out five horror movies and they bought a box of popcorn at the same time since the store was smart enough to have it for sale. 

"I hope you like screaming hormonal teenagers because all of the movies we got have them," Stiles said to his father when they returned home.

"Great. Sounds better than sappy movies."

"Anything is better than 'The Notebook,' Jackson promised them.

Stiles popped in the first movie as John popped two bags of popcorn and dumped them into a large bowl for the three of them to share. John sat down on the end of the couch which left Jackson on the other end and Stiles in the middle. They played the movie and passed the popcorn.

Stiles wasn't hungry but he ate his fair share. Twenty minutes into the movie, Stiles felt Jackson's hand take his. He looked at Jackson with a million questions going through his mind. One look at the werewolf quieted them all down.

Stiles had to admit that Lydia's plan was working. Jackson was making him feel better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write Jackson with him still having issues with Scott for whatever reason. We might get into those issues later. I wanted Scott to partially blame Stiles, or at least hold him responsible, but Scott would never beat up on his friend just for doing something wrong. I hope I got the balance right. 
> 
> And for those that thing they reached peace too soon, there is more drama coming between Stiles and Scott. We all know which side Jackson will take. (c;
> 
> Please leave a comment and let me know if you're enjoying this or if you think it's trash. I love the feedback.


	5. Threatened

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson come to terms with how they feel as a threat shows up on Stiles' doorstep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for hanging in there during the wait for the next chapter to be uploaded. I've written two more and I need to edit them before I can upload them.

A loud knock at the front door broke Stiles away from his peanut butter cereal. It was nine in the morning and Jackson was still asleep. His father went in to work at six and wouldn't be home for twelve hours. Stiles actually woke up hungry and he reached for the surgery box of comfort food over the healthy granola.

Stiles opened the door but kept his hand on the doorframe. It was a woman in her forties with long blond hair, a clipboard in her hands. She smiled at Stiles. "Hello. Can I speak to an adult in the household?"

"He's out running an errand. He'll be back in about twenty minutes if you want to double back." Something about the woman's good-natured look picked at Stiles as though he could see that it was just a facade. 

She dropped the board on the porch and the clip remained in her hand to reveal a hidden dagger about three inches long. She shoved it at Stiles and the human reacted, slamming the door closed and catching the woman's arm in the process. She screeched and then pushed the door open with incredible strength. Stiles backed away and he began to panic.

"Who are you? What do you want?"

"I want your spark. That much untapped power will satiate me for quite some time. It's a pity that I have to kill you to get it."

Stiles held his hands up and pushed with everything he had. The door slammed closed as the woman was pinned against it from a telekinetic force. The dagger fell to the floor.

"You shouldn't have come here," Stiles told her, his growing anger fueling his power. The woman gritted her teeth and threw her fist forward. She wasn't close enough to punch Stiles but a green glob of energy protruded from her hand and circled around him making him immobile. He felt his spark hit a block and he knew immediately that it was some kind of magical barrier. He was powerless.

Now free, the woman bent down and picked up the dagger. She took a couple of slow steps toward Stiles to make sure he was contained. "I don’t really enjoy the killing part," she admitted. "I hope you don’t scream too loudly."

"You're not going to touch him," Jackson warned as he leapt down the stairs landing perfectly on his feet.

The woman seemed surprised by his presence. "I can't sense you. How is that possible?"

Stiles looked at the woman and pitied her. "He's not like us. I'm guessing that's why you can't sense him. Remove the barrier and leave and we'll forgot this ever happened."

The woman threw the dagger at Stiles' head. Jackson jumped in front of it and the weapon pierced his shoulder and became lodged there until he removed it. His eyes illuminated blue from the pain the weapon caused and the woman took a few steps back. "Oh, God.” 

She was afraid.

Stiles pushed the barrier to break away and his concern for Jackson caused the barrier to melt away. He realized then that his emotions could fuel his spark but his mind, his direction, was what made his spark activate. Now free, he walked to Jackson and looked at the wound. It had already healed.

"What do we do with her?" Jackson asked him.

He repeated the same motion that she did with her hand and a red energy field emerged from Stiles' fist and enveloped her. She gasped for a few minutes and then lost consciousness. She collapsed on the floor and the red energy remained like an aura waiting for her to try again.

"That was cool."

"Thanks," Stiles said. "Will you watch her while I call Deaton?"

"Sure. But come back with the phone. I don't want you out of my sight."

Stiles went to his bedroom and he grabbed his cell off the charger. He made the call and Deaton picked up on the fourth ring. "Stiles? How are you?"

"Not great. A woman just tried to kill me so she could steal my spark. I managed to trap her in a red energy field and she's unconscious. Jackson and I don't know what to do with her."

"You did that by yourself? Where did you learn how to do that?” Deaton inquired.

"I just copied what she did to me and used my spark to make her docile. It worked."

Deaton took a beat before answering. "I can be there in ten minutes."

"That would be nice," Jackson said once Stiles had returned to stand beside him.

Stiles hung up the phone. He couldn't keep his eyes from switching between the woman and the spot where the dagger stabbed Jackson. Jackson put his hand on Stiles' shoulder and breathed slowly in an effort to get Stiles to do the same. He hadn't even realized he was starting to spiral until then.

"Stiles, I'm okay. See? It's already healed."

Stiles chucked. "You haven't called me that in years."

"I went through the trouble to learn how to say your real name and you didn't want anyone to use it. It was just easier to call you by your last name like our gym teachers did."

"Yeah, they could never pronounce it."

Confronted with time to waste, Jackson found himself staring at Stiles. There was something on his mind and he figured it was better to get it out in the open. 

"Do we need to talk about what happened last night?"

Stiles thought that they probably should. "I guess so," he said, hoping to downplay it and avoid freaking out Jackson.

The werewolf let go of Stiles and turned to make sure their attacker was still unconscious. He could hear that she was still breathing and her heart was pumping blood so he wasn't concerned by the glowing red energy field that hung around for whatever reason. 

"We held hands through five movies."

Stiles shifted his weight to his other foot. ”Was it a werewolf comfort thing? Like, were you trying to make me feel comfortable and safe because of what happened at Allison's grave?"

"I really just wanted to hold your hand."

"Oh." Stiles didn't know what else to say. "Same. It's the most I've touched anyone in weeks."

Jackson suddenly looked nervous, but he didn’t run away or hide from the conversation. He kept his gaze focused on Stiles.

"Here's the thing. Lydia knows I've had this crush on you since the fifth grade and she promised never to tell anyone. She knows I'm bi and she knows I push everyone away; she told me not to tell you while I was here. She might actually hurt me for telling you."

"I'm glad you did. It explains why you were such a jerk when I didn't give you any reason..."

"You're annoying and you drive me crazy,” Jackson interrupted. A smile appeared on his face. “But you also drive me crazy."

"And you're a frequent star in my sex dreams," Stiles admitted. "I'm also bisexual."

The fact that they had something in common strengthened their developing bond. "I'm not here to seduce you. I just came to help. But being this close to you...my feelings are difficult to ignore."

"And you're going back to London in a week," Stiles acknowledged. It wasn't the right timing for a relationship. And they still had so many issues to work out. But being near Jackson felt right and he wasn't going to deprive himself of the only comfort he felt. Jackson and Lydia were the only two people really saying what he needed to hear.

"Right. I will be." Jackson's smile fell away.

"Then we'll be friends that sometimes hold hands. That's probably best."

Jackson agreed. It was best to keep the situation as simple as possible. "Okay. Good talk."

Stiles wanted nothing more than to put an offer of friends with benefits on the table but he knew he wasn't ready for a sexual relationship with anyone in his current state. "My cereal is going to be soggy."

Jackson laughed. "I'll pour you a fresh bowl when this situation is all worked out."

Deaton arrived shortly thereafter. Stiles pushed the woman out of the way with his foot so that the emissary could get in through the door. He took one look at the woman and sighed.

"You know her," Jackson realized.

"I do. Her name is Raya and she's a fellow emissary. Her motives aren't in line with my clan's motives. She uses her skills to steal magic that she then uses for her own workings. I have to say that I'm surprised the energy field is still active. You must be more powerful than we thought."

"So how do we convince her to leave Stiles alone? He can't be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life."

"We threaten her.” Deaton said the answer simply as though it made the most sense. Stiles wondered if he got that decisive from being a veterinarian or an emissary. 

"I flashed my eyes at her. She stabbed me but I healed. She saw it all.”

"I see. We can use that. Stiles, would you please remove the energy field."

Stiles waved it away and willed it to dissipate. It faded away like Stiles flipped the off switch. Deaton reached into his medical bag and pulled out some smelling salts. He passed it under the woman's nose and she came to with a jerk. She inhaled a deep breath before she scrambled to her feet.

"Alan," she said embarrassingly.

"Stiles is under my protection. I think it's time you leave Beacon Hills."

She remained calm even though it was clear she didn’t like the way that sounded. ”You can't make me leave my home. I’ve lived here over half of my life.”

"I can’t force you by myself, but you know I'm not alone. Stiles incapacitated you just by willing it to happen."

She nodded. "His spark is powerful. It would have served me for a long time."

"You can't have it," Stiles told her. He was prepared to defend himself if necessary. 

Deaton returned the smelling salts to his bag. He closed it and then stood back up with the bag in his right hand. "You know a lot about the creatures that are in Beacon Hills. Banshees, werewolves, emissaries, and so on. A great number of them will know your name in an hour," Deaton warned.

"I see.” She didn’t seem impressed.

"So, make preparations and leave town. You've messed with a member of the McCall pack and the alpha doesn't take kindly to assaults on his advisors."

She laughed. "The McCall alpha is tame. He doesn't kill."

Jackson growled and everyone in the room turned and caught sight of his glowing blue eyes. "I do."

She tensed. Her body language showed that she took the threat seriously. Her back was already against the door and she couldn’t take a step back, but Stiles could see that she wanted to. 

"I'll need a few weeks to prepare. I won't target any of you again," she promised.

"See that you don't. We won't be so forgiving next time,” Stiles told her.

She nodded at Stiles. Jackson walked to her and handed her the dagger, his blood still dripping from the blade. She opened the door, collected her clipboard, and left.

"Thank you, Deaton," Stiles said.

"My pleasure. When you're up for it, I'd like to start working with you. I have some exercises that will help you use your spark more effectively."

"I would like that. A little training could be a good thing."

"Well, I'll be off. Let me know if you need anything."

Stiles showed him out and closed and locked the door.

"Cereal?" Jackson asked him.

Stiles shook his head. "Waffles."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if Raya is going to make a return or not. I just needed a little conflict to move the story forward. 
> 
> Make sure to subscribe to be alerted when I update.


	6. Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A moment of happiness turns sour when Stiles remembers Allison.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this chapter is a little short.

Stiles sent everyone in the pack a text to let them know about what happened with Raya and Deaton. He left out the fact that he used his spark to contain her because he didn’t want his friends getting the wrong idea that he was now some kind of all powerful god-like mortal. He knew they were worried about any lasting effects that the nogitsune might have caused, even changes to his personality, and he didn’t want to give them any details that could give them the wrong idea.

They were both full from breakfast and they settled on playing PS4 upstairs in Stiles’ bedroom. Stiles won all three races and he could tell that Jackson was getting annoyed with his losses. He found himself staring at Jackson and being in awe of all the little details he never saw before. He’d never given himself permission to look for fear that Jackson would bust him and figure out about his crush. Now, it didn’t matter if he looked.

“Why are you staring at me?”

“Because you’re cute.”

Jackson frowned. “I’ve always been cute.”

“Yeah, but I never let myself stare at you before. There’s so much to see.”

Jackson turned and looked at him. “Do you know how corny that sounds?”

“Shut up and let me look at you.”

Jackson rolled his eyes and blushed ever so slightly. Stiles noticed and he thought it was the cutest thing he’d ever seen. Stiles couldn’t help but laugh at him. Jackson took mild offense and playfully pushed him.

Stiles pushed back and things quickly escalated to Jackson pinning Stiles down. He put his nose to the nape of Stiles’ neck and inhaled slowly through his nose. 

“Dude, that tickles.”

“What about this?” Jackson kissed a spot on his neck.

“I don’t know. Maybe you should do it again so I can be sure?”

“Better safe than sorry,” Jackson agreed. He repeated the process a second and then a third and fourth time. 

“Yeah, it still tickles. But I can handle it,” Stiles promised.

It wasn’t long before Jackson’s tongue got involved. There was some definite suction and Stiles couldn’t help but giggle at the way it tickled. “Okay, you’ve discovered a ticklish spot.”

Jackson put a hand on the side of Stiles’ head and turned his face toward him. “Then I should kiss a different spot?”

Stiles nodded. “Yes, please.”

Jackson leaned down and their lips met. It was short and sweet. Stiles saw that Jackson’s eyes were glowing when he pulled away. He wanted to ask what that meant but he didn’t want to embarrass the guy.

He turned and his eyes settled on a picture of himself, Scott, Lydia, and Allison taken a few weeks before Scott and Allison broke up. All of the goodness he was feeling seemed to slip away as though it was now out of his grasp. He put his head flat against the floor and closed his eyes. 

“What just happened?” Jackson asked. He unpinned Stiles and sat up.

“We shouldn’t be doing this,” Stiles said, settling for the first excuse that came to mind. “You’re here now, but you’re going to leave soon. We’re spending too much time together.”

Jackson didn’t understand what happened. “Stiles? Tell me what’s going on.”

“I don’t deserve to feel this way. I don’t deserve to be happy. Allison is dead and she’s never going to feel happy again. What makes me so special? I’m the one that…I couldn’t protect her and I should have.”

“Scott is a werewolf and he couldn’t protect her.”

“I have a spark. Maybe I could have healed her or brought her back.”

Jackson reached out and interlocked his fingers with Stiles’ fingers. The human tried to pull away but Jackson wouldn’t let him. “Look at me. I’m here with you right now and we deserve to feel however we feel. Allison would be happy for us.”

Stiles knew she would be, although she’d probably raise an eyebrow at the pair of them and ask Stiles if he’d gotten hit in the head. But he knew that she would have come around and been supportive. None of that changed the fact that Jackson was leaving soon.

“Maybe you should go visit Danny for a few hours? I’ll be here when you get back and I have my cell if you need to get in touch with me.”

Jackson knew not to push. “Are you sure you want to be alone?”

“Yeah. I promise I’ll be okay until you get back.”

“Alright, but call me if you need anything.”

Stiles watched Jackson walk down the street from his window. The werewolf could feel his eyes on him and he turned back before he resumed walking. Stiles felt like a mess of emotions. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and found the contact he was looking for. The phone started dialing as soon as he tapped her name.

“Stiles? Are you okay?” Lydia asked him.

“I sent Jackson away. Can you come over?”

“Yeah. I have to drop my mom off at home and then I’ll be there. Do you need anything?”

Stiles shook his head even though she couldn’t see. “No, I just need my friend.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you glad that Stiles called Lydia for support? Should he have called someone else instead?


	7. Supported

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lydia tells Stiles what he needs to hear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains Stiles and a supportive Lydia. I love their friendship and I wrote Lydia as being supportive of Stackson.

Lydia stopped moving mid hug and she left Stiles hanging. “Oh, my god!”  
“What?” Stiles asked her, not understanding why she was staring at his neck.

She folded her arms across her chest. “Stiles, why do you have a hickey on your neck?”

“Oh.”

“Well?”

“Jackson left it there when we were messing around a little while ago.”

Any chance of her being excited or happy over angry at the revelation went up in smoke. “I can’t believe he told you when I specifically told him not to! Things between you two sure escalated quickly. You almost get killed and then you’re making out?”

“Well, we played on the PS4 in between. Then I saw a picture of Allison, felt guilty for being happy, and shut down faster than a Windows desktop. I made Jackson go spend time with Danny and probably ruined any chance the two of us have of being happy.”

Lydia didn't hold back. “Not to mention he’s going back to London and he’ll be leaving you all alone.”

Stiles nodded. “And then there’s that. Why let myself feel happy for half a minute if I’m going to have to deal with the comedown when he leaves? And it’s Jackson frickin’ Whittemore. It’s not like we’re that compatible to begin with. Sure, he’s been sweet since he’s been here, but that’s just because I need someone to take care of me. Once I’m back to full strength he’ll return to the moody, standoffish jerk that he used to be.”

Stiles walked to the couch and sat down. Lydia sat next to him. “Well, if we were older I’d suggest we go out for a drink and ice cream.”

“My dad has scotch in the liquor cabinet,” Stiles offered.

Lydia knew it wasn’t the time for alcohol. “Jackson is more bark than bite, Stiles. Don’t forget that he traveled a long way to help you out. He wouldn’t do that if he didn’t care. I think you have some valid reasons for taking things slow, but you know what they say about opposites attracting. You two are the perfect example.”

Stiles looked at her. “How are you okay with this? For all intents and purposes, he’s been the love of your life thus far. How are you okay with him potentially hooking up with another guy?”

“You’re a friend. He’s had a thing for you longer than I’ve known him. Jackson was very clear about his feelings for you when we became serious and he told me about all the crappy things he said to you over the years to keep you from finding out how he felt. Those feelings just grew stronger over time.”

“It’s so surreal to think about. For the longest time I thought you and I would end up together. I never even thought about anything else being possible.”

She smiled at him. “Life is full of surprises. I’m a banshee and you have a spark. Our friends are werewolves.”

“So you’re saying that stranger things have happened than Jackson and I getting together?”

“Exactly. What Jackson and I felt for each other was real and it was strong. But we both made mistakes in our relationship and we’re both stronger for it. I still consider him a friend, a very important person in my life; so are you. I just want you both to find happiness and if it’s with each other, well, that’s kind of a bonus.”

“I don’t deserve you.”

Lydia patted him on the knee. “I think I’m the one that lucked out. I was a roaring bitch before you, Scott, and Allison helped me become the woman I was supposed to be.”

Stiles found himself missing Jackson. Lydia seemed to know what he was thinking. “Don’t worry. He’ll be back in a little while and he'll understand why you sent him away.”

“What if I can’t say goodbye to him? What if it hurts too much? Lydia, the way I feel about him already is…it’s like being drunk to the tenth power.”

She was surprised by his description. She brushed her bangs out of her face as she determined the best thing to say to him. “Isn’t it better to have a little of something for a short time over having nothing? Isn’t it better to get to know him and have fun with him while you have a chance? Besides, who knows what’s going to happen when you graduate.”

“I do. I’m going to join the FBI. I have a plan and everything.”

She laughed but not at his expense. She was impressed with his reveal and she didn’t doubt that he had a plan and that he would accomplish his goal. “Don’t worry about tomorrow. Just focus on today, on the time you have with him now. You can call and write, and I know you know how to Skype. It may be difficult at times, but it will be worth it if you both put in the effort.”

“I’m taking your word as a banshee that everything is going to turn out okay.”

“Just remember that he has flaws, too. He spent years pushing you away to avoid his feelings and that maladaptive coping strategy isn't going to just go away. You have to be patient and show him you aren't going to let him push you away or do the same to him."

"I already failed. Why does he have to be so...Jackson?”

Lydia shrugged. "I asked myself that question many, many times."

"Thanks for coming over. Are you hungry? I could feed you something for your trouble."

"I'm good. My mom and I had finished having brunch when you called. I still can't believe my mom doesn't know anything about what really happens in this town. It's almost like she doesn't even want to know."

Stiles remembered the conflict he felt over not telling his father the truth. It was challenging changing dynamics when his father did find out the truth. As sheriff, it meant he was in potentially more danger knowing because it also made him a potential target, but Scott had reminded Stiles that his father was already a target as a law enforcement officer. It also meant he knew new things he could do to protect himself.

"I'm glad my dad knows. It was hard explaining everything to him and he didn't believe me at first, but our relationship has been stronger since he found out. I would never think of telling you what to do, but if I could be so bold to suggest a course of action, I'd advise you to only tell her what she needs to know to stay safe. You don't want her awake every night worried that a shadow is going to swallow her."

"Are you kidding? In this town that could be a real thing," Lydia joked.

Stiles smiled. "We shouldn't be joking about this stuff. Jackson and I just survived an attack earlier. It would be like tempting fate."

Lydia seemed to agree. "Okay. Do you have any homework left? I can't believe our three day weekend is almost over and we have to go back to school already."

"I know. I wish our school gave us two weeks off instead of three days."

"Say it louder so someone important hears you." 

"I'm done with my homework. I did it on Friday when I got home because I wasn't doing anything else," Stiles said.

He was distracted by a text message he received. He pulled out his phone and read it. "It's from Jackson," he announced. "He went to storage to get his car and just pulled in Danny's driveway. He's checking in."

"Tell him we're fine."

He typed a quick reply message. It read: _I'm sry I'm an idiot. I miss you already. Lydia is here. Have fun with Danny. See you l8tr._

He put the phone to sleep and slid it back into his pocket. "Well, we should do something if we're not getting drunk."

A sly smile appeared on her face. She reached into her oversized purse and pulled out a leather bound journal. "The book I told you about finally came in."

"The one written by the spark in Ireland?" He asked.

"Yes. Shall we read it?"

"Hell yes!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we need a chapter with Jackson hanging out with Danny.


	8. Bros

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson spends some time with Danny.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I knew I couldn't write this story without Danny. I just had to include him.

Jackson took a look around Danny's room. Everything was in the same place. Even the same stack of video games sat on the entertainment center next to the DVD player. "Are you sure you really live here? Nothing has changed since before I left for London. It's been almost a year."

Danny took a look around the bedroom for himself. "Everything has its place. I like my room how it is because it's functional."

Jackson sat down on the oversized beanbag and let himself sink into it. Danny took one knowing look at him and then turned off the television so that they could talk. 

"You have questions," Jackson realized.

"Yeah, like what you're doing back here. And why it took you so long to come and see me. Yeah, that's right, I heard you got back on Friday and I thought they were crazy because surely my best friend would have tried to contact me."

Jackson felt shitty for not making contact sooner. But it wasn't like he was just wasting time doing nothing. He was helping a friend out. Were they friends now? Were they more? He didn't even know how to describe his relationship with Stiles at the moment.

"I'm sorry. I've been a little preoccupied."

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Is this a werewolf thing? Are you here for some pack conference or something? Is it top secret?"

Jackson stared at Danny. "I never should have told you I'm a werewolf. You sound like Stiles with all the questions."

Danny's eyes widened. "Stiles huh? Since when do you call him by that ridiculous nickname? And I remind you that you were the one that called it ridiculous."

"It is ridiculous. Stiles and I are friends now."

"Woah. Since you got back?"

"Yeah. I mean, you know he helped me out before I got sent off to London."

"I know he was involved but you wouldn't really tell me how," Danny reminded him.

"He tried to help keep me from hurting people and I didn't listen. He helped Lydia save my life."

"I get the feeling that there's a lot you're not telling me."

Jackson shrugged. That was code for _yes, you're exactly right._ There were a lot of things he left out from his explanations because he didn't want to give anyone's secrets away, but Danny was his oldest friend and he supposed the guy deserved to know the basics.

"Stiles went through something recently and he's having a difficult time. I came back to help him see that none of it was his fault. He blames himself for Allison dying and other people getting hurt, but he wasn't responsible."

Danny sat quietly as he processed this new information."That sucks. I never thought the dude was a bad guy."

Jackson rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. I'm the one that told you he was persona non grata."

"Yes, you were. What changed?"

Jackson took a beat to organize his words so that he didn't sound like a blithering idiot.

"I've had a lot of time to think about things in London. Mistakes I made with Lydia, personality faults that I needed to work on, and similar things. I decided it was time I stop running from these feelings I've had for him. Being a werewolf has made me see him differently. He's helped Scott so much..."

"I knew Scoff was a werewolf! Ethan and I never discussed it, but I suspected he was...is."

"Yeah, but he's a natural at it. He's good at being a werewolf like I'm good at lacrosse. I'm still figuring all the werewolf stuff out."

"But...?" Danny asked, hoping for more.

"But I need Stiles in my life. It's like Jackson and the werewolf are two coexisting personalities that feed off of each other. Both parts want Stiles and I couldn't continue to bury it."

"That's deep. So, did you tell him how you feel? Did he freak? Did he hit you?"

Jackson couldn't hold back a smile. "No, we held hands and he told me he felt the same way about me. Not the werewolf part because he isn't one. He's a spark that can do magic."

Danny was suddenly excited. "Magic? Wait, he likes you back?! He dresses like a total straight dude. Don't look at me like that! I'm just saying he defies the stereotypes."

"He does. You would really like him if you gave him a chance."

"Do I have your permission now?"

"Of course. But don't hit on him or I'll bite you."

"Oooh, so threatening. Seriously, Jackson, you're so menacing. How do you walk down the street without people running from you?"

"You're a dick."

"No, but I've had my fair share."

The werewolf groaned at the series of mental images that statement elicited.


	9. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson go on their first date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This first date business happened kind of suddenly as I was writing this chapter. I went with it and I'm so glad I did.

It was the middle of the afternoon before Jackson returned to the Stilinski household. Stiles was watching a cooking show that he turned off as soon as Jackson walked through the door.

"Hey," Stiles said. "I'm so sorry I'm an emotional freak right now. I saw Allison's picture and it brought things back up."

"It's okay, Stiles. That's bound to happen for a while."

Stiles shrugged. He didn't expect the guy to give him a free pass. In fact, Stiles thought that Jackson would be a little upset. Jackson walked to the couch and sat down next to him. "Lydia left already?"

"We read through a journal written by a spark from Ireland. She went home an hour ago."

"Did you learn anything new about being a spark?"

Stiles was excited to share. He had to contain his excitement to avoid going off on an ADHD tangent. "You have no idea. There are actually different kinds. The journal didn't go into detail so I'm gonna have to ask Deaton about that. We also get stronger in power as we age. Are you hungry?"

"I could eat," Jackson admitted.

"We both skipped lunch. We could go out somewhere."

Jackson looked at him. "Like on a date?"

Stiles shrugged. "Yeah, if you wanted. We should take advantage of the time we have before you go back. I know I'm not back to myself completely but I've discovered I like spending time with you. Also, Lydia saw the hickey and your life might be in danger so I figure we should have our first date before she kills you dead."

"Sounds good. But I'm driving."

"Aww, you missed your car. I totally get it."

"Mexican?" Jackson asked.

"Yeah. I just need to go upstairs and change. And brush my teeth."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "Don't keep me waiting."

Stiles laughed as he ascended the stairs. He took a few minutes to settle on a button-up flannel shirt and a pair of jeans. He checked himself out in the mirror once he brushed his teeth and he decided he also needed to comb his hair. He wanted to look good for Jackson and he was feeling a little self-conscious about not being up to the task. 

When he went back downstairs, his shirt was tucked into the waistband of his jeans. He smiled at Jackson as the werewolf stood up and licked his lips. "You look hot," Jackson admitted.

"We could skip lunch," Stiles offered, wiggling his eyebrows.

The werewolf stepped forward and grabbed his hand. "You don't know how tempting that sounds. But I think we should do this the right way. We don't really know that much about each other and this is our chance to do that. I want to know everything about you."

"Then lead the way to your steed, sir."

Jackson continued to hold his hand as he led Stiles to the passenger side of his Porsche. Stiles had ridden in the vehicle once before and it felt odd to be in such a different place with Jackson after such a short amount of time. Jackson got in and the engine purred when he started it up.

"She's been sitting too long. Doesn't seem worse for wear though."

"She's beautiful."

"Don't tell her how I feel about you. She might get jealous," Jackson joked.

He pulled out of the driveway and headed toward the East side of town. 

There were two Mexican restaurants in Beacon Hills and they were of differing qualities. The restaurant Stiles always frequented was on the West side of town. It was a small taco stand behind a grocery store. It was fast and cheap and he had many memories of driving up with Scott after a supernatural battle to get some sustenance.

Stiles realized they were going to the other restaurant owned by a family of Mexican immigrants that featured authentic Mexican food. It also came with a higher price tag. "Jackson, we can go to the cheap place. Just because you have money doesn't mean you have to buy me food. And it doesn't mean you have to buy expensive food."

"I want to treat you on our first date, Stiles. We're going to remember our first date for the rest of our lives and I want it to be a good memory."

"Okay." How could a guy complain about something like that?

Traffic was a little heavy since it was after Sunday church services and everyone was out and about without anywhere special to go. They were both quiet for the ride as their nerves got ahold of them. Stiles pulled his cell phone out of his pocket long enough to put it on silent before he shoved it back in.

"So, you're probably going to have to help me order. Scott always orders for me at the nice places because he doesn't mispronounce everything like I do."

"I can do that. Do you like chicken or beef?"

"Both."

"Then we won't have any problem finding something you'll like."

They stopped at a red light and the silence became uncomfortable. They both started speaking at the same time and went silent when they realized the other had something to say. "You go first," Stiles offered.

"I was thinking about whether or not to tell you that I can't wait until I kiss you."

Stiles laughed. "Were you like this with Lydia?"

"No," Jackson revealed. "You're special."

Stiles rolled his eyes. He didn't buy it for a second, at least until Jackson kissed his hand and looked into his eyes with a mixture of confidence and sincerity. "I mean it. You are special, Stiles."

"You're not so bad either. I like this side of you."

"Good. I like all your sides, too." They both laughed at how corny that sounded. Jackson resumed driving when the light went green and drove the additional mile to the restaurant without incident.

They parked and walked into the restaurant together. The hostess looked at both of them and pulled two menus out. It made Stiles nervous how she could tell they were on a date and his nerves seemed to compound on top of each other until he was a ball of nervous energy. It all faded away when Jackson touched his shoulder before they sat down.

"Here are your menus. Your waitress will be here shortly."

"Thank you," Stiles told her. She walked away and they started to peruse the menus. 

"The chilaquiles here are to die for and the molé verde sauce is amazing. Do you like spicy food?"

Stiles ate spicy noodles almost every other day. He could handle a little heat. "Yeah, as long as it's not a lethal dose." 

"You could always go basic with the burritos or enchiladas. And the tamales are homemade fresh every day. My dad is friends with the owner so we came here a lot. I never brought Lydia here in case you were wondering."

Stiles wasn't, but he liked the idea that they were making their own memories without past influences coming into play. He knew that wouldn't always be the case but this was a special occasion. This was their first date and they didn't need Lydia's past relationship with Jackson overshadowing everything.

Their waitress appeared and took their drink orders. Jackson and Stiles both ordered a cola and the same thing dinner when she returned, a burrito and chilaquiles combo dish. Jackson ordered for both of them and Stiles watched him intently the whole time.

Once the waitress was gone, Jackson let his eyes soften as he glanced at his date. "So, tell me one thing I don't know about you."

Stiles thought for a moment. "I'm accident prone but I've never broken a bone."

"That's good to know. Is this your way of telling me that I'm going to have to take care of you when you walk into walls and fall down stairs?"

"If you're interested."

"I am."

"Your turn." Stiles waited patiently for the answer.

"I can't stand mushrooms. They're mushy and they totally creep me out."

"I love mushrooms. But I'll ban them from my life for you."

"I don't mind the taste but I hate the texture. And I would feel horrible if you gave up something you liked because of me."

Stiles didn't mind giving up mushrooms entirely if it meant Jackson was a permanent fixture in his life, even if it was only friendship. Jackson looked over his shoulder and the enjoyment from his face slipped away.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

Stiles knew how to push carefully to get the answers he wanted. "Please tell me. I can see that something's wrong."

"The waitress is talking about you to the hostess. She's planning on asking you for your number."

"Really? Why?"

Jackson sighed. "Because she wants to jump your bones. Why else?"

"Oh. Well, I'm not interested."

"I know her type. She doesn't take no for an answer."

On cue, the waitress walked around the corner and walked over to their table. She looked at Jackson briefly before turning her full attention to Stiles. "I just wanted to let you know that your orders will be a few extra minutes. They're making it fresh and they had to get some fresh limes from our storeroom downstairs."

"Not a problem. Thanks for telling us."

"Of course. I love that shirt on you. It really shows off your physique."

"Thanks. You can leave us alone now," Jackson said, his tone stern.

The waitress ignored him like she didn't hear him. Jackson was getting angry and Stiles was afraid the claws were going to come out soon if she didn't take the hint. "Thank you. My boyfriend picked it out for me. He likes how I look in it almost as much as how I look without it," Stiles said.

The waitress froze and suddenly remembered Jackson's presence. "Oh. Well, you're a lucky guy," she said to Jackson. The waitress walked away without another word. Stiles reached out and grabbed Jackson's hand.

"I'm here with you, Jackson. Sorry if I overstepped by calling you my boyfriend, but I figured it would get the message across."

The werewolf inhaled and exhaled a couple of deep breaths to center himself. Stiles' touch helped ground him. "Well, we are on a date so that makes us technically dating. I'm sorry I get jealous and protective."

"It's okay. We handled it and it's over, right?"

"Yes. She's already talking about some guy in her accounting class."

"Good. Because I'm not sharing you." Stiles pressed his thumb against Jackson's and let himself relax and enjoy the date.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to write more of Jackson being snotty to the waitress but, I couldn't make it happen without getting Stiles upset as well. I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Make sure to read the next one to see what happens after the date. ;)


	10. Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of their date brings about a revelation for one of the pack's adult members.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's the next chapter. I want to think you all so much for reading and leaving comments and kudos. I'm happy to know that people are enjoying what I'm writing and I'm going to keep it coming.

At the end of their meal, Jackson insisted on paying the check and he told Stiles that it was his pleasure to treat his date to a good meal. They left the restaurant and went for a walk downtown. They passed bakeries, book stores, and antique shops as they both wondered what was next.

"Are you in the mood for ice cream?"

Stiles patted his stomach. "I'm stuffed. Maybe that could be our second date?"

"I like the sound of that."

"I thought you might."

They turned and started walking back toward Jackson's car and they found themselves holding hands without thinking about it. They didn't care who saw or if anyone had anything negative to say. 

The sidewalk was filled with people out doing their shopping before the week began and a few women smiled at them as they passed. No one said anything nasty and that gave Stiles hope that they could repeat their handholding in other places around town.

"Can I ask you something?"

Jackson nodded. "As if I could stop you."

"This is probably at least third date conversation but since we're so pressed for time, I thought I'd go ahead and ask. Have you ever done anything with a guy before? Because I haven't and I'm excited by the prospect but equally nervous."

"Uh, Danny and I practice kissed in middle school and we took a couple of non-sexual showers together at summer camp so we wouldn't have to shower in cold water. To be honest, I never got over my crush for you to try anything with another guy. Then Lydia and I got together and all that happened."

"Has there been anyone in London?"

"No. I went on a few dates but they never progressed beyond the first goodnight kiss. And they were with girls my own age. How about you? Have you dated anyone since I've been gone?"

Stiles wasn’t proud to admit it, but he wasn’t going to start lying to Jackson now. ”There was a girl that I kissed when I was at Eichen House. It wasn't serious at all. In fact, I wish it never happened. It was a weird situation."

"I'm glad she didn't steal you away before I got my chance to tell you how I feel about you. And here we are back at the car."

"You can't kiss me goodnight until we're on my porch. Those are the rules," Stiles said, teasing Jackson.

"I thought you were going to kiss _me_ goodnight."

"I'll definitely be participating," he promised. The werewolf released his hand and opened the door for him. Stiles got inside and waited. Jackson got in and Stiles threw the rule book out of the proverbial window.

He reached over and rested his hand on Jackson's neck. He turned to look at Stiles and the human leaned in and kissed him gently.

"What was that?" Jackson asked when they separated.

"That was just for fun. I still get a proper kiss when we get home."

"You can have anything you want," Jackson said breathlessly.

"Let's go home now."

The anticipation was building for the entire drive home. Stiles could barely contain his excitement as they stopped and waited for Stiles to open the door when they reached their destination. The police cruiser was in the driveway and Stiles knew they needed to do this quietly to avoid drawing any attention to themselves.

"Goodnight." Jackson said. He leaned in and kissed Stiles with the passion he had been holding in. Stiles kissed back with a hunger that Jackson had never experienced before and the door opened as their tongues explored each other's mouths. Neither realized that the sheriff was standing there until he cleared his throat and tapped his foot.

They separated and moved four feet away from each other when they realized they were caught.

"What's going on out here?"

"It's okay," Stiles announced, hands at shoulder level as if they would somehow convince his father of that fact. "We just went on a date."

"And when were you going to tell me about this?"

Stiles was sticking with his new honesty-is-best policy. “Not for a while. I don't want you sleeping on the floor in the middle of our bedrooms with your gun ready to put holes into the guy I'm dating. He's too cute to have bullet wounds."

Jackson chuckled and the look on the sheriff's face made it clear that it was the wrong time to do so. "I'm sorry,” he said quickly, but he stayed there with Stiles instead of running away.

"Jackson, why didn't you tell me he was walking to the door? You're the werewolf."

"I was distracted. You're very distracting."

"Jackson, can you give my son and I some time to talk in private please?"

"Sure. I'll just wait...out here."

Stiles walked inside and his father closed the door.

"He's not staying here. I would have never agreed to have him come stay if I thought this was going to be the outcome."

Stiles frowned. "That's not fair! He’s actually helping me get over my issues. Is this because he's a guy?"

"What? No, of course not. I don't care that you're dating a guy. I do care that you're dating a werewolf."

"Dad, no offense, but you don't get to decide who I date.”

His father laughed. He had defiance written all over his face. “Wanna bet? I’m the parent. I have power.” 

“I'm just asking you to give him a chance. Let him keep staying here and you have my word that we won't do anything but kiss under this roof."

The sheriff took a long moment to think it over. "Okay, I'll give you a little rope and trust you both to do the right thing. Don't hang yourselves with it, huh?"

"Thank you. You can come in now. We both know you're listening."

The door opened and Jackson walked in. The door clicked as he closed it behind him. "Thank you, Sheriff. I just want you to know that I'm not taking advantage of your son. I've had feelings for him for years and they've only gotten stronger. I don't want to do anything to hurt him."

"That's exactly what's going to happen when you leave next week." John wasn't looking forward to his son falling back into a depression. As a parent, he felt the need to be upfront about what was going to happen.

"I know it's not the best timing, but we both want to explore these feelings and we'll deal with my leaving as best as we can."

John looked at his son. "You do look nice. Where'd you go?"

"Casa Hugo's. Jackson paid. If we're going to keep eating like that I'm gonna need a major bump in my allowance."

John rested his hands on his waist. ”Or, you're going to need one hell of a job, son. We have plenty of paperwork that needs to be filed at the station."

"Sure. Let me just ask Scott to give me the bite first so the paper cuts will heal faster."

"Don't you dare," John said, worry all over his face.

Stiles felt bad for making the guy think that was actually a possibility. They’d had this conversation before and it took him a few hours to convince his dad that he was fine being a human being without the werewolf healing factor and the claws and teeth for self-defense. ”I was kidding, dad. I'm not getting the bite anytime soon. Can Jackson and I go up to my room now?"

"Sure. But leave the door open. And don't obscure the camera."

Jackson raised an eyebrow. "You have a camera in your room?"

"Yeah, I'll explain when we get upstairs. Hurry before he changes his mind, Jack."

"I thought we agreed that you would never call me that? It's not my name."

"Okay. But you're going to need a pet name now that we're dating, gummy bear."

"Please stop," Jackson said as he followed Stiles upstairs. 

"Don't worry. I unhooked the camera a few weeks ago and took it down. My dad is just trying to get in your head. But a deal is a deal...for now."

Jackson walked to Stiles' bed and sat down on it. Stiles sat next to him. "Thanks for taking me on a romantic first date, Jackson. The kiss at the end was the best part."

"I agree. It would have been better if your dad didn't bust us. Still, I'm glad we're not hiding anything from him now."

"Me, too. PS4?"

"Sure. I'm gonna win this time though."

"Yeah, sure you are, gummy bear."

"We're not sticking with that nickname."

"Are you sure?" Stiles asked. "You are cute and sweet."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had originally intended on John finding out toward the end of the story, but I liked how this developed. He'd be supportive of Stiles' relationship with a guy but not necessarily with a werewolf like Jackson and I wanted to bring that up. More coming soon.


	11. Revealed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson visits Stiles, Danny, and Lydia at school and Scott finds out something he didn't know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scott and Jackson are always fun together, but this went a little different than I intended.

Stiles felt more like himself once he returned to school the following day. He was more social with his friends and more engaged in his classes. One of his teachers even told him that it was nice to have him back. Stiles had kissed Jackson before he left home that morning and he missed those lips so much throughout the day.

He spotted Jackson sitting with Danny as he was carrying his lunch tray to his usual table with Scott and Lydia. Danny and Jackson were sitting at the same table waiting for them. Stiles approached slowly even though his heart fluttered when he heard Jackson laugh at something Danny said.

"Hey guys," Stiles said to announce his presence. He placed his tray down next to Jackson and took a seat.

"Hey." Danny replied. His smile was warm and he actually seemed okay with Stiles joining them.

Jackson was staring at Stiles. "You're hot. Can I get your number?"

"I'd have to check with this guy I'm dating. He gets a little jealous."

"He sounds like a smart guy to want to keep you close."

"You two are going to have to stop being so cutesy or I'm gonna throw up all over you," Danny told them. He then took a bite of his potato salad.

Lydia was the next person to sit down at the table. She said hello to everyone and started looking at Stiles from her position opposite him across the table. "What are you doing after school?"

"I don't have any plans." That wasn't true. He had plans to make out with Jackson a lot before his father got home from work, but he couldn't exactly tell Lydia that. He needed to have some semblance of tact.

"I was thinking we could go see Deaton after school. I want to talk to him about what we read in the journal. There's so much we need to know about what you can do."

Stiles nodded. "Sounds good. You two can come with us if you want."

"Thanks, but I'm a volunteer tutor after school," Danny said. "But I'd be interested to hear what you find out. I'm new to all this stuff and I have so many questions."

"I'm your man," Stiles said. Jackson frowned at the way that sounded. "You know what I meant," he added quickly.

"I'd love to go but I need to check on the house for my folks."

"That sounds like your parents," Danny joked. Stiles found himself wondering if they would like him if Jackson ever got the chance to introduce them. Hopefully, they forgot all about the restraining order business.

"Hey guys," Scott said as he sat his tray down. He sat next to Lydia and Kira was right behind him. He took a long look at Jackson.

"Kira, this is Jackson and you know Danny from second period. Jackson, this is Kira. She's a kitsune."

"A what?" Jackson asked.

"A supernatural creature found in Japanese lore. They’re usually referred to as trickster spirits and there are a bunch of different types. They're represented in mythology by a fox," Danny explained. All eyes turned to look at him.

"How do you know all that?" Kira asked.

"I grew up on comic books."

Scott laughed. "You and Stiles are, like, soulmates. You should be dating."

Jackson's jaw tightened and he balled his hands into fists. "I took Stiles on a date yesterday. He's mine."

"Jackson, it's okay. You know there's no threat here."

Jackson realized what he did. "I'm sorry, Stiles. I've never been in a relationship as a werewolf and it's weird how protective I am over you after just one date. I promise I'll work on it."

Scott stared at Stiles. "You're kidding, right? Stiles, you're dating him?"

"Yes, I am."

"What the hell is wrong with you? It's like you've turned into a completely different person."

Stiles thought his best friend had to be confusing him with someone else. He felt more like himself than he had in weeks and he thought Scott would be the one person to see how much better Jackson's friendship had made him after only a few short days. He found himself getting angry that Scott wasn't the one saying all the helpful things to him, the things that he needed someone to say. He realized then that he needed Scott to know what happened wasn't his fault. 

He pushed it down to keep the peace.

"This isn't the place for this conversation. I was going to tell you during our free period today. I know it seems weird because I never told you about my crush on Jackson and I'm sorry about that."

Scott turned to Lydia. "Did you know about this?"

Lydia nodded. "Yes, I did, and I'm completely okay with it. You forget that I know Jackson better than you do."

"I can't believe this."

Kira sighed. "Scott, that isn't fair. Why don't you and Stiles talk during your free period?"

"That's a good plan, Scotty. I swear I wasn't trying to hide this from you."

Scott nodded slowly. "Alright, we'll discuss it later."

Danny took a bite of his food and everyone else followed. The conversation was light and mostly about school work. If anyone noticed Stiles take Jackson's hand under the table, no one said anything. He squeezed gently and Jackson seemed to calm.

At the end of lunch, Jackson stood up and hugged Lydia and Stiles. "I've got to get to the house. I have to FaceTime with my father because he wants to make sure everything is up to his standards."

"Good luck with that. I'll see you at home?"

"I'll text to give you an estimated time of arrival."

Stiles smiled at him as he left the cafeteria with Danny. Lydia collected her purse after she dumped her tray. "Kira, would you walk me to my next class please?"

"Of course. See you later, boys." 

Now that they were alone, Scott opened his mouth to speak. Stiles held up a hand to stop him. "Can we do this in private? How about the bleachers?"

Scott nodded. "I'll walk with you."

"Cool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I downplayed things between Scott and Jackson because the rest of the pack was there. There will be some discussions between Jackson and Scott coming up in later chapters and they will be full of the snark that some of you have requested. Please be patient with me.


	12. Conversation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Scott have a discussion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little short because I didn't feel the need for it to be long and drawn out. They get each other even if they aren't getting along so there are some things that don't need to be said because they've been friends for so long.

The bleachers overlooking the lacrosse field were empty and the field was quiet. As they sat down, it was clear that no one was going to disturb them. The sky was overcast and it looked like perfect nap weather, but Stiles wasn't tired like he had been recently. He felt full of energy.

"I really was going to tell you today," Stiles began. "My dad found out yesterday."

"Stiles, this is weird. He's been here three days and you're dating him? He's your boyfriend?"

"We haven't used that word yet. He admitted that he's had a crush on me since the fifth grade and I've had confusing feelings for him ever since he started being a jerk to me. But he's not that way all the time. It's like a mask that he wears as a defense mechanism."

Scott scratched a spot behind his left ear. "Your dad is actually okay with this?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't he be? You were the first person I told about my bisexuality and you seemed supportive at the time."

Scott narrowed his eyes. "That's what you think this is about? I am totally fine with you being into guys. I just don't know that Jackson is the right one for you. He's petulant and selfish."

"You wouldn't say that if you knew the other side of him. Yes, he can be those things, but he's also supportive and caring. He came here to help me and he has. Look at me right now and tell me he hasn't helped."

The werewolf shrugged. "I guess he has."

"He said the things that I needed to hear. The things that my oldest friend wasn't saying to me. And before you get defensive, I know it was because you were grieving for Allison and dealing with her death. But I needed support, too, especially after everything I've been through. Jackson has given me that."

"In three days?"

"Yeah. I know it's complicated because he's going back to London, but what's wrong with giving this a try in the meantime?"

“You’re going to get hurt when he leaves. I just want you to be sure. You saw how he treated Lydia."

"I know, but he's not the same person. He's grown up a lot over the last year. He didn't try to get under your skin during lunch and he was patient with your problems with him. He's still working on the werewolf stuff because he had one twenty minute conversation with Derek before he left for London. As if that would tell him everything he needs to know."

"Yeah, that is messed up," Scott recognized.

"You're an alpha and you're my friend. I'd really appreciate it if you could try to help him out. Just think of it as helping him become the beta he was meant to be."

"He's not my beta and he never will be."

"Just give him a chance. At the least, he's a werewolf that needs some support so he doesn't hurt anyone. At most, he's your best friend's boyfriend. I gave Allison a chance even though she was from a family of hunters."

"Yes, you did," Scott admitted. "Okay. I'll give it a shot. He just needs to remember that I'm the alpha around here and he has to submit."

Stiles smirked. "That sounds mildly sexual when you say it like that."

"No, it doesn't," Scott countered as he pushed his friend for messing with him.

"So, what are the boundaries here? How much can I tell you without you getting grossed out? Because I had to listen to you talk about kissing Allison and having sex with Allison and..." He stopped speaking even though he didn't finish his thought. Scott was looking out across the field and he had started to cry.

“Shit. Scott, I’m sorry. I'm such an idiot for talking about her right now."

"No, it's okay. She was dating Isaac when she died and I'm still with Kira. I think a part of me is just realizing that we're never getting back together and it still stings. It's good that you can talk about her. And to answer your question, you can tell me anything you need to tell me. I can take it."

Stiles looked at his friend and he found himself wondering if that were true. He didn't want to disgust his friend but he thought it was better to talk to Scott about these things over Jackson's ex-girlfriend. "He's a really good kisser. And his hands are soft but nothing like a girl's. He looks at me sometimes and I lose all train of thought."

"It sounds like you're really falling for him."

"I am." Stiles knew it was complicated and he hoped he wasn't going to get his heart broken in the end. He also knew that being with Jackson was worth it even if it only lasted a week before they were forced to be apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Scott are ending things on the same page. Do you think it will last?  
> Make sure to subscribe to get an email when I post updates!


	13. Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Lydia go to Deaton's animal clinic. While there, they learn a few things about sparks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another short chapter, but it's filled with useful bits of information.

Stiles stood outside of the animal clinic. Lydia was standing next to him ready to go inside and she didn't understand why he wasn't moving.

"What's wrong?" She asked him, her impatience clearly audible.

"Do you feel that?"

She took a beat and then she looked at him. "Do I feel what?"

"The energy that's coming from inside. It's vibrating." He had never felt it before and it made him curious.

"I don't feel it. Let's go inside and ask Deaton about it."

Stiles resumed walking. Once inside, Deaton finished giving aftercare instructions to a patient with an injured dog. The animal had a cast on its leg and the owner carried it outside to her vehicle. 

"What can I do for you two on this rainy day?" Deaton asked.

"Have you been doing magic in here? There's vibrating energy all over the place and I can feel it."

Deaton rubbed his chin. "Impressive. You're far more perceptive at this stage than I would have anticipated for someone so new. What you're sensing is a telluric current. The clinic is built on two intersecting lines."

"I know about those. Danny did a paper about them," Stiles remembered. "What he didn't know is that they're lines of power given off by the nemeton."

"That's right. The energy is used for various rituals by Druids and other people with magical affluence. The fact that you can sense them means that you can harness the energy should you need to do so."

Lydia opened her purse and pulled out the spark's journal that she and Stiles had been reading. "Gelvon mentioned them in his journal, too. That's why we came today, Deaton. The journal mentions that there are different types of sparks and it doesn't tell us what they are. We were hoping you could tell us."

"Of course. I'd also be interested in reading the journal when you're finished if you would care to loan it to me. Uh, excuse me for a moment."

Deaton left the waiting area and retreated into his office. He returned a few minutes later with a rolled up piece of parchment paper. It looked old but Stiles could tell that it was new and only made to look that way.

"This is a modern reproduction of a scroll from Irish mythology. It says that Danu, the mother of the Gods and Goddesses, created a gift for humanity shortly before the Tuatha De Danann were defeated by the Milesians. It is believed this gift was to help them should they become oppressed or harmed in some way. This is the spark creation myth."

"It's all connected," Lydia realized. "Sparks, banshees, and Druids."

"Exactly. All beings that are capable of performing magic contain a spark. A Druid is just a spark with a title."

Stiles made the connection. "So, you're saying that you're a spark also."

Deaton nodded. "Yes, I am. The types that we know about are classified based on the level of energy they can manifest. I'm what is referred to as an secondary spark. Most of us fall into that category."

"So, you're saying that you can perform some spells but not others. That makes sense," Stiles said.

"Tertiary sparks are only capable of low magic," Deaton continued. "Think minor energy sensing. It's enough to feel the energy but not enough to do much with it. Raya fits into this category."

"That's the woman that attacked Stiles and Jackson?"

"Yes. She found a way to absorb the power from other sparks and use it to make herself a secondary spark. It's a rare occurance. Stiles, you're a primary spark. That's why you're so naturally gifted with this stuff. You can make things happen just by thinking and wanting them."

"I'm guessing primaries are also pretty rare?” Lydia asked.

"A few dozen every generation. They're usually called on to be leaders for the Draíocht, a type of council that oversees sparks that become a threat to humanity. They work to cut down any exposure of our gifts to the general public. They're really just a group of powerful volunteers trying to keep everyone safe."

"Why do I feel like you're giving me a sales pitch?" Stiles wondered.

"Well, it's my duty to tell you about them. They have impressive training programs that you could benefit from, but they're based in Sweden."

"Yeah, no thanks. I'd rather learn from you."

Deaton smiled. "Thank you for the compliment. I'd be happy to show you all I can."

Lydia opened up the journal and started flipping through to find a specific entry. Once she found it, she turned the book around and slid it to Deaton. "Do you know what this means?" She asked.

Deaton read the passage and he nodded. "Think of it as a sphere of light that possesses intelligence. It can find people or objects if the spark can hold a clear enough image of what they're seeking in their mind. Even tertiary sparks can do this type of low magic. Would you like me to show you how?"

"Yes, please," Stiles said, eager to begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love how they always go to Deaton for advice or what they need to know. I usually like when he's mysterious and he doesn't tell the whole story, but for this conversation he needed to be forthright.


	14. Parental

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson has a discussion with his parents.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again, readers. I bring you the newest chapter in our adventure.

Jackson Whittemore was having a frustrating hour. He had just walked through the entire interior and exterior of his family's home in Beacon Hills while he FaceTimed his parents. "Everything looks like it's being taken care of."

His mother's voice overtook his father's grumbles. "I just don't know. It looks okay, but the kitchen needs more care. Please ask the maid to give it special attention."

"I will," Jackson promised. He had a list of similar things that the staff needed to take a second look at and he promised to leave it with the maid. He was ready to be done with this exercise so that he could return to Stiles. He missed his boyfriend, if that's what they were calling each other after only one date and a hell of a goodnight kiss, and he wanted to spend time with him. He turned the phone's camera on himself.

"I need to talk to you guys about something."

His mother perked up. ”What is it, Jackson? Did the gardener have another bout of heatstroke? Is he okay?"

"Max is fine, mom.”

"Then what is it?" His father asked, clearly ready to move on to other things.

"I want to talk to you both about me moving back to Beacon Hills. It might be good for someone to live here in the house to keep an eye on things. I miss my friends here and I want to finish my last few years with them."

"That's out of the question," His father said, immediately dismissing his request. "Have you forgotten that there's a reason we sent you to London?"

Jackson would never forget all the conversations he had with his parents over the years. He didn’t need a reminder of all the times he let them down and didn’t act like the perfect adopted child that they wanted.

"I remember. But I've grown up a lot and I know I can thrive here now if you two would just give me the chance to show you. I want to prove to you that I can do this."

"We'll discuss it, honey," His mother said. 

"No, there's nothing to discuss, Paige. He's at a top rated private school and he's been behaving himself. What do you think is going to happen if he goes back to Beacon Hills? It's all because of that boy he's infatuated with."

"What boy? What are you saying?" His mother was genuinely surprised. Jackson remembered how upset he had been when his father read his journal in the eighth grade. He stopped writing in it because he didn't want to be that exposed ever again. 

Jackson was genuinely surprised that his mother didn’t know. He thought she’d known all this time and just refused to acknowledge it. "I thought dad told you about Stiles.” His mother was silent as she let the news that he was interested in another boy sink in. She didn’t freak out, so Jackson considered that a plus. 

Jackson’s father wasn’t so calm. ”That boy is trouble. Do I need to remind you about the restraining order?"

"No, dad, you don't. Stiles was trying to help me and he took things too far. He’s grown up a lot, too. I only got the restraining order to get back at him. It wasn't really necessary."

"End of discussion. You're returning to London in nine days and if you aren't back when classes begin, well, we'll file papers with the police and they’ll list you as a runaway."

Jackson glared at the images of his parents. His mother seemed surprised and so full of questions but he knew his father likely wouldn't tell her anything if he’d kept it a secret all these years. He looked into the camera and tried to control his anger. 

"I have to go. Bye." He disconnected the chat and threw his phone across the room. It landed safely on the cushion of a chair. He felt like screaming, like all of the anger and desperation he was feeling was on the verge of clawing out through his skin. He was certain his eyes were probably glowing as he heard the low growl coming from his throat.

His thoughts drifted to Stiles and he felt calm wash over him. "Son of a bitch," he said, realizing. "Stiles is my anchor."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jackson's dad can be a jerk but that doesn't mean he doesn't love his son. I think he genuinely believes he is acting in Jackson's best interest by not letting him stay in Beacon Hills. I feel bad for Jackson's mother now that all of this is coming out. Do you think she's going to be supportive or in opposition of a Stackson relationship?


	15. Meltdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jackson and Stiles have an argument. Lydia says what needed to be said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little longer than the last few I've posted. It just works out like that sometimes.

"Hey, Jackson. Lydia and I are just finishing our homework."

"Oh. I thought we'd be alone."

Lydia looked up from the book she was reading for her report. "I can leave if you two want to be alone."

Jackson walked to the empty cushion between them on the couch and took a seat. "Whatever," he said.

Stiles and Lydia shared a look. "Lydia, would you go into the kitchen and grab the three of us some sodas?"

"Sure," she answered. She put her book down on the armrest after using a bookmark to save her place. She stood and walked into the kitchen.

"Are you okay?" 

Jackson avoided looking at Stiles by watching a commercial on the muted television. "I'm just fine."

"That was a mix of sarcasm and denial. I recognize both of them quite well. They're old friends of mine."

"Not everything needs a freakin' conversation or a check-in, Stilinski."

"Oh. It must be bad if you've reverted to the darker aspects of your personality."

Jackson looked at him. "My parents pissed me off. Happy?"

“Not really. How can I help?"

"Well, never meeting you would be a good start."

Stiles felt the sting of his words. "Sorry, I can't do time magic. Give me a few years and who knows what I’ll be able to do."

"It's not a joke," Jackson spat hastily.

"No kidding. You're angry and your walls are up. You're taking it out on me and it's starting to piss me off," Stiles said honestly.

"Sorry to be such a problem."

"You're not a problem." He reached for Jackson's hand and the werewolf pulled away.

"Why does everything have to be a discussion with you? We don't always get what we want."

Stiles didn't know what Jackson's parents did to put him in such a sour mood. “What happened with your parents?"

"I don't want to talk about it, Stilinski."

Stiles felt his own anger growing. He knew he needed to leave before he said something he'd regret. "Fine, Whittemore. I'll be in my bedroom if you can bother to remember my name and the fact that we're dating and that I'm only trying to help you."

“Dating you was a mistake," Jackson said without thinking. Stiles felt like something inside had fallen out of place. He stood up and collected his things. He went upstairs and slammed his bedroom door closed.

Jackson remained on the couch, his hands in fists and his claws digging into his own palms. The blood was minimal and the wounds would heal. His relationship with Stiles was now strained and he didn’t think the guy would ever forgive him.

"There you go again, Jackson. You're just so good at pushing people away." Lydia walked back into the room and sat next to him.

"Weren't you getting sodas?"

"That was code. Stiles wanted to talk to you in private. You really have a way of screwing things up. So, what are you going to do to fix it?"

"Maybe I shouldn't. He's better off not getting too invested since I'll be leaving soon."

Lydia frowned. "He was right about something happening with your parents. Your dad, most likely. I'm still your friend if you want to talk about it. At least, I'm your friend until you push me away, too."

Jackson stared at her. "I asked them to let me move back and my dad refused. He knew it was about Stiles."

"I see. So, you're angry about having to leave him and your way of dealing with that was to push him away and try to make him hate you. That's an okay plan, but it ends in both of you being unhappy. Although, if you do end things with Stiles, he might find happiness with someone else."

Jackson's eyes flashed on instinct. "You think I don't want him to be happy? I want him to be happy with me."

"I know. But you're trying to sabotage yourself because your dad pissed you off. That's not smart. It's just sad."

“So, what do I do? Apologize and be happy until I leave in nine days?"

Lydia thought about her answer carefully. ”Maybe. It's better than going back and regretting that you wasted all this time by making him hate you."

Jackson breathed slowly. He realized she was right and he felt angry with himself for losing his cool. "Now I've ruined things."

"Maybe not. Stiles is a pretty forgiving guy if you're honest and speak from the heart."

Jackson looked at her in awe. "How was it so easy for you?"

"What?"

"Changing into a better person."

"I had friends that helped show me who I was meant to be. Stiles is trying to show you the same thing."

"Thanks, Lydia."

"Anytime. Tell Stiles I headed home and that I'll see him tomorrow."

Jackson waited for her to collect her things and leave. He went upstairs and knocked on Stiles' closed bedroom door.

"No jerks allowed."

"What about apologetic losers that realize they were an idiot?"

There was a moment of silence before Stiles answered. "It's unlocked."

Jackson opened the door and he walked in. He watched as Stiles wiped tears from his eyes and Jackson felt horrible. "I made you cry? I'm so sorry."

"No, I just have dust in both eyes at the same time."

"That explains it. Can I explain why I was so upset?"

"I don't know. I asked before and now I'm not sure that I'm still interested."

Jackson walked to the desk chair and took a seat, spinning himself so he could see Stiles. The familiar squeak came from the chair but Jackson ignored it. "I was pissed because I asked my parents if I could move back and my dad turned me down. I'm sorry that I took it out on you and Lydia. I'm still not good at controlling my anger."

"I get that. But taking it out on innocent people just makes us hurt and makes you look like a fool."

"I am a fool. I never want to make you feel like that ever again. I probably will because I'm not perfect, but if you know I don't want to them maybe you'll be able to forgive me. Eventually, I'll be able to recognize the signs and stop myself."

"Do you know why I'm crying?" Stiles asked.

Jackson was slow to respond with his answer. "I think it's because I hurt your feelings when you were trying to help."

"Yes, but it's deeper than that. I'm crying because I'm in love with you and I'm scared that you don't want me as much as I want you. I sound like I'm in middle school right now and I don't even care. I love you, Jackson."

Jackson crossed the room and he had Stiles in his arms. "I love you, too, Stiles. I know this is fast but I realized something today. You're my anchor."

"I am?"

"You are."

"I've never been anyone's anchor before. It's kinda cool.”

“Also, I’m sorry for getting blood on your shirt.”

Stiles looked to see what Jackson was talking about. There were two spots of blood that had been on his hands when he went to hug Stiles. The human just shrugged. “It’ll wash out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I find it so difficult to write Jackson as a jerk because that's not how I am at all, but I've known a few and I drew on them for inspiration. :D
> 
> Do you think that Stiles forgave him too easily? Is he blinded by the L-O-V-E?


	16. Talky Talky

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> John suggests that his son get some therapy and he and Jackson have something to ask of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is comprised of two smaller chapters. I thought they fit together since they take place a few minutes apart.

Stiles wiped the sleep from his eyes and paused long enough to yawn before he returned to eating his cereal in large bites. He didn’t know if Jackson was awake yet, but he was sure his crunching would agitate the wolf enough to wake him up. His father looked at him curiously from across the table with one of those fatherly glances he liked to wield every so often.

“I didn’t do anything,” Stiles finally said, taking the last bite and pushing the bowl away from him. 

“I wasn’t suggesting that you did. I’ve actually been thinking about something that I wanted to talk to you about. I was thinking that maybe you’d be interested in talking to Ms. Morrell again.”

Stiles trusted her, but she still gave him the creeps. The last time they’d talked she was on board with killing him to keep some kind of natural balance, and that was before she even knew the full extent of his possession situation. “Why?” He finally asked.

“I know Jackson is helping you and I’m glad for that. But she’s trained to help people through these things and I’m thinking it might be good for you to have someone to talk to about everything that’s happening. You’re dealing with all this guilt and you’re starting what seems to be a pretty serious relationship.”

Stiles connected the dots. “You want me to see her so that I have some support when Jackson goes back to London.”

“Yes,” his father admitted freely. “I just think it would be good for you to have someone to talk to. And she’s another resource for you in terms of your spark and how to use it. Not to mention she knows all about the supernatural and she can be a good support system for you.”

“I’ll think about it. I’m not excited about the idea of talking to someone about my problems right now. I just want to spend as much time with Jackson as I can.”

His father clasped his hands together and put them on the table over the newspaper he was reading. It was turned to the comics section. “What if I told you that she has an opening at 10:30 today and you get to leave school to go see her?”

“Is she still at Eichen House?”

His father nodded slowly. He knew his son had bad memories of the place and he didn’t want to push too hard. “Yes, but her office is on the first floor and you’d be there for outpatient counseling. She assured me that you have nothing to worry about.”

Stiles sighed. “Fine. Does this mean I can skip school the rest of the day if she makes me cry?”

His father weighted his options. “Only if she makes you cry. You can’t just skip school to spend time with Jackson. However, I trust you to make this judgement for yourself. You’re old enough to decide.”

“Really? Wow. This is a lot of power for one person to have.”

“You’re going to be late for school if you don’t leave soon. All I ask is that you try it.”

Stiles looked upstairs to an empty hallway before he bent over the chair and collected his backpack. He stood and put it over his shoulder. “Alright. I need you to call the school so they’ll let me leave early enough to get across town.”

“I already told them you’d be leaving at 9:45. That will give you plenty of time to get there. Have a good day.”

“Bye, dad.”

Stiles picked up his bowl and deposited it into the sink before he pulled the keys from his pocket and left through the front door. He got into his jeep, started it up, and drove to school. He was in a good mood again. He only wished he could have seen Jackson before he left.

  


* * *

  


Jackson descended the stairs a few minutes after the sounds from Stiles’ jeep dissipated. He was dressed in a pair of his pajama pants and an old Three Day’s Grace t-shirt that he slept in. He walked to the kitchen table and sat down across from the sheriff.

“Good morning, Jackson.”

“Good morning. I was hoping we could have a discussion about something.”

John put down the newspaper and gave Jackson his full attention. “Sure. What would you like to discuss?”

He was quiet for a moment as he tried to think of a way to say what needed to be said without freaking the guy out. He didn’t want to let on how much he loved Stiles because his feelings were so strong and they had just started their relationship. 

“Sheriff, I don’t know if Stiles told you or not but I tried to get my parents to let me stay here in Beacon Hills. My father is against it because he knows the reason I want to stay is related to my feelings for Stiles.”

“How does he know how you feel about my son?”

“He read my journal when I was in the 8th grade. He confronted me and I admitted the truth. He thought all of that was behind me when I started dating Lydia, but I was never able to bury my feelings. Lydia knew all about them and so did my best friend.”

“I see. Why are you telling me this?”

“I was thinking last night while I was trying to fall asleep. My mother seemed willing to go along with it because I’ve been doing so well at my new school in London. I’m not the same kid I was before I left here and I hope you can see that.”

The sheriff nodded. “Yeah, I can tell that you’ve done some growing up. How can I help?”

“I was thinking that if you called my father and told him you’d help keep an eye on me, he might be willing to let me stay on a trial basis. I would move back into my house and stay there and help keep things running smoothly because my parents are concerned things aren’t getting done properly.”

John thought for a long moment. He wanted his son to be happy and if he could do something that would ease his son’s pain, he was all for it. He still didn’t know Jackson very well, but he couldn’t ignore the fact that the guy came back to town specifically to help his son. “I’m certainly wiling to try. I just don’t know that your father will be willing to listen to me. To be honest, I don’t think the man likes me all that much.”

“He doesn’t,” Jackson admitted. “But he does respect you. He voted for you in the last three elections. Besides, he and my mom will be back in Beacon Hills in a month once their vacation to Malta is done. Then they can reevaluate.”

The sheriff rubbed his thumb against the flat side of his palm for a few seconds. “Alright. I’m willing to contact them and make the offer to keep an eye on you. I know that there are going to be things that come up because you’re a werewolf and we’re in Beacon Hills, but you need to show them and me that you’re here to be a good student and more than just a good boyfriend to my son.”

“That’s fair. I just want to spend more time with Stiles and I think it will be good for me to be here. I’m essentially an omega and being around a stable pack might help me better control my werewolf instincts. And I want you to know that I will never hurt your son.”

John tore off a piece of the newspaper without any text on it and pulled a pen from the pocket of his shirt. “Write down your mother’s number and I’ll give her a call in a few hours.”

“Thank you.” Jackson took the pen and wrote down the number.

“There’s something you can do for me, too.”

Jackson sat up and waited to be told whatever it was that John Stilinski needed from him. He wasn’t about to let him down after he was willing to make a call to his folks. “Of course.”

“I need you to take things slowly with my son. I know he’s doing better right now, but I think he needs some counseling to work through things.”

“I heard your conversation with him this morning about our old guidance counselor. I thought it was a good idea.”

The sheriff seemed impressed. “Good. I know you’re two hormonal teenagers and things are going to happen. I’m just asking you two to pace yourselves and not rush into anything too quickly. I can tell how he feels about you because I know my son, but you’ve only been dating for a few days.”

“I can understand how that would concern you, Sheriff. Stiles and I have had these feelings for each other for years, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have work to do in a relationship. This didn’t just happen all of a sudden is my point. I assure you that we’re going slow.”

“That’s what I wanted to hear. What are you up to today?”

“I’m going to get the oil changed in my car. It’s been sitting almost the whole time I’ve been gone, so I thought it would be good to have it checked out. I told Stiles that I would help him cook dinner tonight even though I can barely make macaroni and cheese. I’m hope he’s a patient teacher.”

John laughed. “He tries to be, but don’t be discouraged if he does it all for you. Helping him cook usually means you stand there while he talks at you. He’s been doing it since his mother died.”

“Stiles and I haven’t talked about her that much and I didn’t want to push or ask questions. I wasn’t always kind to him and I have a lot to make up for.”

“See that you do. Now, I’m off to work. I’ll make the call as soon as I have a free minute.”

“Thank you. I’m going to go take a shower.”

“Help yourself to anything in the kitchen. We have plenty of fruit and I can only eat so much of it on my own. Stiles is always reaching for the surgery cereal instead.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ms. Morrell. I've been a fan of the actress ever since she was on Buffy and I loved the mysterious character. She wasn't featured nearly enough and I'm bummed we never got to see more of her on the show. As always, thanks for reading!


	17. Counseled

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles has his first counseling session with Ms. Morrell.

Stiles hated waiting. 

He sat down in the chair in the waiting room that was closest to the door in case he needed to make a hasty exit. He wasn’t a werewolf or a banshee, but he figured he could at least run through the glass portion of the door if it came to it. Sure, he’d probably end up with a few cuts, but that was preferable to being locked in Eichen House against his will.

He’d use his spark only if absolutely necessary.

The receptionist, a woman in her fifties with thinning hair and a pair of glasses that looked a decade too old, kept watching him as though she expected him to freak out. He decided not to say anything to her in case she took it the wrong way and “accidentally” had him committed. She picked up the phone when it rang and nodded as she spoke something incoherent into the receiver. 

“You can go back now, Mr. Stilinski. It’s the third door on the right.”

“Thank you,” Stiles told her. He stood up and walked down the hallway. The paint needed to be redone because it was peeling in large clumps every few feet. Stiles thought it was odd that they would keep the public part of Eichen House in such disrepair since it was their primary source of income. 

The lighting fixtures also looked a few decades too old. Stiles couldn’t tell if they were supposed to be shaped like clam shells or decorative ovals and he gave up paying attention when a man in a lab coat passed him in the hallway. They didn’t say a word to each other and Stiles was okay with that. 

Ms. Morrell’s office door looked like Stiles had pictured it would look. It was a normal sized door with frosted glass and her name painted in the middle. He knocked gently and she called him inside. He stepped over a line of mountain ash without trouble.

“Come in, Stiles. It’s nice to see you.”

Stiles raised an eyebrow as he sat down. “Are you sure? You’re not still planning to kill me and make it look like an accident?”

She smiled in a way that didn’t make him feel at ease. “I’m happy to say that we’ve moved past that stage in our relationship. I’m sure you can understand my need for caution at that time. Someone with so much raw power at their disposal could become a serious threat if that power were placed in the wrong hands.”

“Yeah, thankfully that didn’t happen.”

She opened a file folder and wrote down the date on a piece of notebook paper that was fastened inside. “Just so you know, I’m going to keep a few simple notes in your file since I’m required by state law to keep records. I’m the only one that has access to them and anything you say won’t be copied down verbatim. Do you understand?”

“Sure. I’m still not sure this is even necessary.”

She put down her pen. “I know about what happened. My brother kept me informed and I suspect he’s the one that gave your father my new contact number. I want you to know that there’s no charge for these counseling sessions, so you don’t need to worry about burdening your father monetarily.”

“Thanks. That’s good to know.”

“Everything you tell me in these sessions will be kept confidential between you and I. I won’t tell my brother or anyone else, though I won’t hesitate to warn them if I see a dangerous pattern of behavior emerging.”

He frowned. “Like if I start to turn into a darach or something?”

“Or anything else. Now, since it’s been a while since we’ve last talked, how about you catch me up on what’s going on in your life?”

Stiles looked down at his hands for a minute and then back up to her. “I still feel guilty over Allison dying. Lydia made a call to Jackson and he came back into town to help me sort through things since he can relate. I’m sure you know he was a kanima after Derek first gave him the bite.”

She kept her eyes focused on him. “Please continue.”

“Well, he hurt people when Matt and Gerard were controlling him and he couldn’t stop it. He’s dealt with the same type of guilt I feel over everyone I hurt when I was possessed.”

“Everything that occurred was out of your control.”

“I know. But I’m this powerful primary spark and I couldn’t stop myself from being possessed.”

Morrell nodded. “I understand why you feel that way, but a spark’s powers manifest slowly at first. There was some discussion between Deaton and I on whether or not we should reach out to you to begin training you and we both decided against it for your own protection. Not every spark manifests their abilities and we thought that might be what happened in your case. We were wrong.”

Stiles saw her look away from him for a moment. It was a behavior he understood. “I don’t blame either of you.”

“So why do you blame yourself?”

“I don’t know. Jackson’s been good about reminding me that I had no control and that brings up a whole bunch of other issues. You should probably know that Jackson and I are dating now.”

She seemed surprised. “Really? I wasn’t aware the two of you were on good terms. I seem to remember a couple of reports of the two of you getting into arguments that previous counselors documented.”

Stiles nodded. “Yeah, we both tried to bury how we felt for a long time. We’re taking things slow because I know I’m not in sound mind right now, but I feel better than I have in a while. And he’s going back to London in a week.”

“That’s got to be difficult.”

“It is,” Stiles admitted. “That’s why we’re taking things slowly. He tried to get his parents to let him stay, but they turned him down. So, I need to be healthy enough to visit London this summer.”

She jotted down a couple sentences of important information. “I’m just writing down your trip as one of your goals. How is your relationship with Scott holding up? Has he been supportive of what you’ve been going through?”

“Well, he tries, but he’s grieving Allison at the same time. I think a part of him does blame me.”

“It’s difficult to navigate your own feelings when the people closest to you are dealing with their own conflicting feelings about a situation. Is it possible you’re accepting the blame because you think that’s what Scott needs you to do?”

Stiles nodded after a moment. “Probably. I mean, I was attacked this weekend by Raya and I didn’t tell anyone that I used my spark to subdue her. I thought it would freak them all out and make them think the nogitsune is still a part of me or something.”

“I would say that’s a valid worry based on what you’ve been through recently. But hiding things from your friends will only cause more guilt. How is your relationship with your father?”

Stiles thought back on how much progress he’d made with his father. “Things have never been better. Telling him about the supernatural was a risk, but it’s been the best decision I made. We can talk openly about everything now. He even knows about Jackson and I.”

Morrell jotted down more notes before closing the folder and placing the pen in the holder. “Have you leaned on him through this struggle you’ve been experiencing?”

“Yeah. He tries to understand and be supportive. I found out after the fact that he worked with Lydia to get Jackson here, so it’s good that he’s trying. It makes me feel safe to talk about it with him even though I don’t want to bring him down. And he doesn’t treat me any differently.”

“I’m happy to hear it. Stiles, I’d like you to keep a few things in mind when things are especially difficult. First, Allison was a friend of yours and she wouldn’t hold you responsible for what happened. She would be supportive of you moving on with your life and being happy.”

“I know. I’m still struggling with that.”

“That’s normal. It’s a progression from one state to the next, not an instant change. The other thing I want you to remember is this: ‘Never, never, never give up.’”

Stiles smiled. “More Churchill? Do you have an infatuation or something?”

She paused for a moment. “Not an infatuation, but respect and admiration. Is there anything else you’d like to discuss before we bring this first session to a close?”

Stiles shook his head. “No, not that I can think of.”

“Alright. I want to see you again in two weeks. I have an opening at three so you’ll get out of school a little bit early.”

“Bonus,” Stiles joked.

“For those two weeks, I want you to say something to yourself in the mirror every night before bed. I want you to tell yourself that you weren’t responsible for the nogitsune’s actions and that you’re going to be okay. Pretty simple?”

“Yes, I think I can do that.”

“Good. I have something for you.”

“Do I need to be concerned?”

“Only if you don’t like gifts.” She reached into her desk and pulled out a velvet pouch the size of a deck of playing cards. She handed it to him over her desk and he took it, opening it up to look inside. He saw something silver and circular inside and he poured the contents out into the palm of his hand. 

“What’s this?” He asked. It was clearly a silver ring with a series of inscribed markings that looked like pictographs. 

“It’s an amulet that was given to me by the person that trained my brother and I to be emissaries. It serves two purposes. The first is that it helps you focus your spark without causing you to drain yourself of energy. The second benefit is that it offers you protection from people like Raya. It shields you from being sensed so easily until you can learn to cloak yourself.”

“Thank you. Deaton offered to do some training with me so I can figure all this out.”

“I’m glad he offered. I think it will be beneficial for the pack to have you in control of your gift. I’ll see you back here in two weeks on the seventeenth.”

“See you then.”

Stiles put the ring on his right middle finger because it was a perfect fit. He felt the amulet’s energy mix with his own as he walked out of the office, closing the door behind him. He passed the receptionist and then he walked through the exit with a sense of relief. He pulled his phone out and sent his dad a quick text to let him know that everything went well and that he was headed back to school. He sent it and then walked to his jeep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Ms. Morrell as a character so much. I'm not sure how much she's gonna be in later chapters. Thanks for reading!


	18. Plans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and the pack have lunch and make plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I uploaded a chapter yesterday and thought I owed you guys a few more since I've been uploading in threes. I hope you like this one.

“Cool ring,” Kira said. “What do those inscriptions mean?”

They were eating lunch at their usual table in the school cafeteria. Jackson wasn’t there even though Stiles hoped he would stop by. Danny was sitting with them again and he considered that an improvement. “It’s an amulet that Ms. Morrell gave me. It helps mask my spark so people can’t sense me out. It also works to help me focus so using my spark doesn’t drain me of energy.”

“I didn’t know that was possible,” Lydia said. “You should ask Deaton about that the next time you see him.”

“I will,” Stiles promised. He took a bite of his french fries. They weren’t curly, but they served their purpose. “I’ll probably start training with him when Jackson leaves. It will keep me busy.”

“Do you need help?” Scott wondered. “I can help you.”

“Yeah, I might need someone to use as target practice,” Stiles joked. Scott rolled his eyes in a playful way and resumed eating his lunch. Stiles was having a good day and he was more involved with his classes than he had been in a while. He couldn’t wait to go home and tell Jackson how much he had improved. He also couldn’t wait to see Jackson and kiss Jackson.

He pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and composed a message. _Wish u were here._

It didn't take long for Jackson to reply. The message read: _I'm alone and thinking of you. I wish you were here instead._

Stiles liked the sound of that. When he looked up both Lydia and Danny gave him looks that told him they knew what he was up to. He put the phone away and finished his lunch. “Wouldn’t it be cool if I could fly?” He asked suddenly. “Or teleport? I’m gonna work on that.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Scott said. 

“And cool,” Stiles was quick to add. “Dangerous and cool.”

“He’s going to get himself killed,” Lydia joked.

Danny leaned in toward the center of the table. His voice was hushed so no one at the nearby tables could overhear. “So, you can use magic to just do whatever you want?”

Stiles thought about the best way to describe what he could and couldn’t do. Lydia let him take the question since Danny asked him, but Stiles knew that she could probably answer it better in half the time. 

“Yes and no. The spark is like a power source that I can use to do magic. My mind and my intent are what directs it. I’m not all powerful and some things are easier than others, so I could use my spark to telekinetically throw a tray across the cafeteria and that would be easy because it requires a low level of energy. But killing someone or channeling an element would require more energy and more focus.”

Danny thought about the answer and let it sink in. “That’s freaking cool. It’s a shame there’s not some big spell book you can practice from like in all the movies and television shows.”

“Yeah,” Lydia agreed. “That would be a nice resource to have.”

Stiles knew something like that would be helpful, but having a person with all the knowledge and supplies at their disposal is even more useful. “Deaton’s offered to teach me everything I need to know.”

“Who’s this Deaton guy? Jackson hasn’t mentioned him.”

Scott looked at Danny. “He’s my boss and he’s a veterinarian. He’s also a Druid emissary that helps werewolves when they need it. Think of him like a guide with a lot of information.”

“Yeah, that would be really handy to have. No wonder you work for him.”

Scott joked. “No, I actually want to be a veterinarian.”

“That’s cool, too.”

Stiles found himself wondering just how much information Jackson had given Danny. "What did Jackson tell you about all of us anyway? We should catch him up, guys."

Danny was excited by the prospect of everyone filling him in on the details he didn't know. "I get the feeling that Jackson held back a lot because there were secrets involved and they weren't his to tell. I'd love to get the full picture though."

Everyone looked to Stiles. He realized he'd been the one designated to fill Danny in at the same moment he realized it was almost time for their next class. "I'll fill you in tonight. You can come over and hang out with Jackson and I. There are things he doesn't know either."

"That would be great. Around six?"

"Sure. Are you guys coming also?" Danny asked.

"I'll be there," Lydia said.

"We're in," Kira said while she was holding Scott's hand. The werewolf kissed her on her cheek and made her smile.

"Then it's a party."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you enjoying this story? Please consider leaving a comment. I want to know what you like/dislike about how thing are progressing and if there's anything you want to see.


	19. Alone Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson find some time alone after school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I worked really hard on this chapter. I edited it a couple of times and did some re-writes because I didn't like how it was going. I think I've fixed all the mistakes, but I'm only a human.

Jackson was sitting on the couch watching a retro game show on the television when Stiles got home. He tossed his backpack down by the door and sat next to Jackson. "Hi."

"Hey. I missed you today," Jackson said.

"I missed you, too. Did you ever think there would be a day where we'd admit that to each other?"

The contestant on television correctly guessed three trivia questions and earned herself twenty points. "No, it never seemed possible. I'm glad that we're able to admit how we feel to each other now."

Stiles was thankful that they had moved past that stage. "Same here. Did you get my text about everyone coming over at six? Danny wants to know all the details of our supernatural lives."

"Sounds good, though I'd rather be making out with you up in your bedroom," Jackson admitted.

Stiles didn't hold back his laughter. "Yeah? Well, we can do that for a couple of hours before they get here."

Jackson looked at him. "I like the way you think. What about cooking for your dad?"

"He'll be off at eight. He already knows they're coming over and that they'll stay for dinner. We'll rope the pack into helping us." Something about Jackson's facial expression changed and Stiles noticed. "What? What did I say?"

Jackson knew he needed to be honest with his feelings even though it made him feel weak to do so. He wasn't trying to complain or put Stiles on edge. "It's not important. It's just that you talked about them like they're our pack and they're not. You're a part of McCall's pack and that's fine. I'm not and I don't think I ever will be."

"You could be. Scott hasn't had a chance to get to know the guy that I have. If you show him this side of yourself then he'll see that you're a good guy. He'll see you like I see you."

"Will he also think I'm hot?"

"He might. But I'm his oldest friend and I call dibs, not to mention he has a girlfriend."

"I'll try," Jackson promised. "Now why isn't my tongue down your throat?"

"You say the sweetest things to me," Stiles said. He screamed like a girl when Jackson pulled him on top of him and began kissing him. It escalated quickly with their hands exploring each other's bodies. Moans escaped from their lips as Jackson's tongue brushed the top of Stiles' mouth and caused him to giggle.

"What?"

"That tickles."

"You're very ticklish, Stilinski."

"Don't call me that. Call me by my name."

"That is your name."

Stiles slipped his hand under Jackson's shirt and ran the palm of his hand over Jackson's abdomen. "Don't be coy, Jackson. You know what I'm asking you to do."

A playful smile appeared on the werewolf's face. He leaned in so that his mouth was next to Stiles' ear and he brushed his lips against the earlobe. "Mieczyslaw."

Stiles was impressed and oddly turned on. Not many people could pronounce his name right. Few had the patience to lean how to say it correctly and he was both surprised and excited to know that Jackson's pronunciation was correct. Jackson kissed his neck just below his ear and began to make another hickey.

"Oh, my god, Jackson. Not in such a visible place."

"Too late," Jackson beamed. He inhaled Stiles' scent and then grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him down so that their lips were together again. Stiles had to shift his weight because of what was happening "downstairs" and the friction, though pleasurable, was only going to end in one messy outcome.

"Where'd you learn to say my name? You said it perfectly."

"My dad used to have a law clerk with immigrant parents. They were from Poland."

"It's hot when you say it," Stiles confessed.

Jackson's hand released Stiles' shirt and moved down to his hips. "You know I'm gonna use that to drive you crazy from now on, right?"

Stiles used his finger to lift his chin and he kissed a spot next to Jackson's throat. "I might let you," he said finally after he left a hickey of his own. Five seconds later and Jackson's healing caused it to disappear. 

He frowned and Jackson wondered what had happened. "What's wrong?"

"You healed. I gave you an amazing hickey and it was gone in eight seconds."

"I guess you'll have to keep trying. Maybe try using your teeth."

The prospect excited Stiles more than he thought it should. He moved his mouth to the nape of Jackson's neck and repeated the process. While it was still visible, he used his teeth and he felt Jackson shake beneath him. "You like pain," Stiles realized. "Good to know."

"I never did before. It must be you. The wolf likes when you claim me."

"Keep talking like that and I'm going to cum in my jeans."

"Can I watch?"

Stiles playfully hit him on the shoulder. "You know the rule. We can't break it already."

Jackson shrugged. "It's a fifteen minute drive to my house."

Stiles wanted more than anything to say yes. He stopped himself when he realized he still needed more time before they went there. Jackson looked disappointed when he saw the way Stiles liked away.

"I'm sorry. I'm not ready."

Jackson wasn't sure he was either. "It's okay, Stiles. We'll know when it's time."

"You don't mind waiting?"

"No. I get to spend time with you and talk to you. That's as intimate as the physical stuff even though it may not seem like it. We're still finding out if we're compatible."

"We are. I can feel it."

"I feel it, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are you glad that Stiles and Jackson decided to wait before consummating their relationship?


	20. Puppetmaster?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Danny is being caught up to speed about the supernatural and Scott makes an accusation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Scott is going to be a little bit of a jerk in this chapter. It's up to you to decide if his intentions are good.

Stiles began to spin the ring on his finger as he listened to Lydia tell Danny about Ms. Blake and how she told Lydia that she was a banshee. She went over what she could do and how she read that her scream might even become so powerful that it could become a weapon.

Danny was taking the information in and his level of excitement was building. "That's so cool. I'm feeling a little inferior being the only regularly powered person here."

"None of us has hacked NASA and gotten away with it," Jackson said, boasting on his friend's incredible accomplishment.

"No way! What were you looking for?" Scott asked.

"I was mainly looking for unreleased images of our solar system. I didn't find any proof of intelligent life, but they would be smart enough not to keep that on an open system."

"You seem too laid back to be such a rebel," Kira said to Danny. "Very cool."

"Thanks. So what happened with the alpha pack?"

Scott took over telling the story and he didn't skip a single detail. Stiles found himself watching Jackson. He was sitting next to Danny and Lydia on the couch and Stiles couldn't help but stare in awe of how he seemed to fit among them, not to mention how good he looked in his perfectly sized designer clothes. He turned and caught Stiles staring which resulted in a coy smile and a wink. You want me bad, he mouthed to Stiles.

Stiles rolled his eyes but the affect was negligible. They both knew that Stiles wanted him because Jackson could detect his chemo-signals. Stiles listened as Danny asked a follow up question. 

"Are alphas really that much more dangerous?"

"The wounds they inflict take longer for a beta to heal from. Alphas have more power when they have a pack behind them. I can feel the bond between myself and my pack most strongly when I'm in a dangerous situation and I need to call on them for extra strength."

"And it goes both ways," Kira explained. "I can draw on the pack bond to make myself stronger in a fight, and more focused. I think it only works for supernatural creatures though."

Jackson seemed more interested in what Kira was saying than anyone else in the room. "That's impressive. Derek never told me about any of this."

Scott looked at Jackson. "Derek probably didn't feel the need to tell you everything since you were leaving. Unlike Derek, I'm selective about who I let join my pack. If we open the doors for just anyone to come in, there's no telling what kind of abomination might try to get their hooks in us."

Stiles' eyes widened when he understood Scott's words. It was an obvious dig at Jackson and what he went through. He wasn't about to let his boyfriend be humiliated like that. All of his anger fell away when Jackson laughed. "At least I'm smart enough to get my hooks into the most powerful member of the pack."

"Stiles isn't a true alpha." Scott countered.

"Stiles could knock you on your ass just by thinking it. He could take all of us out and we'd be helpless to stop him." Jackson looked at Stiles with pride in his eyes. Stiles hadn't been looked at like that in a long time.

"That's why this spark stuff is dangerous." Scott said. "If Stiles is going to insist on developing these skills then we'll need to figure out a way for him to do it safely so no one gets hurt."

"It can be dangerous," Stiles admitted. "But it's no more dangerous than a werewolf running around on the night of the full moon. It's all about control and directing the energy into a positive. I mean, Deaton showed me how to make a glowing ball of light and that can't hurt anyone. It's about how it's used."

"I get what you're saying. But if it's something that could be used against us then we should have a way to protect ourselves."

"That's what Stiles does. He directs the spark so that it can't be used against you," Jackson explained.

"And if he becomes possessed again?"

Stiles suddenly felt small. Just the mention of his possession put him on edge. He walked over to the couch and slid in between Jackson and Lydia. 

"It won't happen again," Stiles said, hoping if he repeated the thought enough times that it would become law. 

"You can't know that for sure. Dude, I'm glad Deaton is helping you learn this stuff, but you can't deny that it makes you more dangerous, too."

"Yeah, but he's on our side," Kira interrupted. "We get your point, Scott, but Stiles isn't responsible for all the sparks any more than you're responsible for all the werewolves. There are good ones and bad ones."

Scott sighed. "I wasn't trying to say that Stiles being a spark is a bad thing. I was commenting on the influences around him and how he could be corrupted and turned against us."

Lydia was the first to pick up on his meaning. "That isn't fair."

Stiles was the next to catch on, a good thirty seconds before everyone else realized it was another dig at Jackson. "You think he came back here to turn me against you? Give me a break."

Jackson glared at Scott and his jaw was tight as he kept from saying something he would regret. Scott held up his hands defensively. "It's a valid point. You were nothing to him and then you become a spark and now he's all over you? It makes me think he's after your power. Maybe the kanima is looking for a new master."

Jackson reached over and interlocked his fingers with Stiles'. "I love him, McCall. I'm in love with him. Both Lydia and Danny have known about my feelings for him for years. Don't judge me based on past actions I couldn't control and don't demonize me because you can't deal with the fact that your best friend doesn't need you anymore."

"What? That's not..."

Stiles cleared his throat. "I think the party's over. We should end this now before someone says something that they can't take back."

"I agree," Lydia said, patting Stiles on the knee for moral support. Stiles found himself wondering when he got so close to Jackson and Lydia and so far away from Scott. It had to have happened since Allison died and Jackson arrived, he theorized. He wondered if there was a way to repair the strain on their relationship.

"I'm sorry. We'll see you all at school tomorrow," Scott said. He stood and walked out with Kira. Lydia flashed Stiles a smile before reaching for her purse. Danny was the last to leave and he told both of them goodbye and that he was glad they finally found their way to each other.

When they were alone, neither of them felt like moving apart and breaking physical contact. Stiles rested his head on Jackson's shoulder. "I know your intentions are good, Jackson. Don't let Scott's words freak you out. I know this is real."

"Good. I know it is, too."

Stiles glanced up at the clock on the wall. "My dad's gonna be home in an hour and we need to start dinner. Are you ready to cook?"

"Can we just stay like this for a few minutes? I like feeling you here with me. It calms me down."

"That's a werewolf thing, but I kinda like it."

Jackson kissed the top of his head. "I figured out what your nickname is going to be."

Stiles lifted his head and gave Jackson his full attention. "Really? What is it?"

"I was going to go with 'pet,' but that sounds condescending. I also thought about 'sparky,' but that seemed too cheeky."

"Both valid points."

"So, I think I'll stick with 'babe.'"

Stiles smiled. "I like it. It's not as good as 'gum drop,' but it'll do."

Jackson laughed. "Be serious. No one in their right mind would call me that."

"Well, I could call you 'hot stuff.' It's both accurate and cute."

"Keep trying. You'll get there eventually," Jackson joked.

"I've got it. 'Sweet and Sour' is who you are to me. It's perfect."

The werewolf frowned. "It doesn't really roll off the tongue."

"No," Stiles agreed. "I'm going to text Lydia and ask her opinion."

"Wait until she gets home. No texting and driving."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted Jackson to be snotty back to Scott. I just think he's grown a lot in the year he's been away and he knows when to pick his battles. Sorry for all the dialogue. It's just how I write.


	21. Dinner

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Jackson share a meal with John.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been working overtime writing chapters for this, so I thought I'd update a little bit earlier than usual. I like to see how the story progresses before I set a definitive end, so all of that is still up in the air.

"Dinner smells great, boys."

John greeted both of them in the kitchen before he retreated upstairs to change his clothes. Stiles was busy setting the food and plates on the table while Jackson was fretting over the Sheriff's conversation with his parents. "Jackson? Are you with me?"

"What? I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Can you grab three forks from the top drawer?"

"Sure." Jackson retrieved the utensils and he handed them to Stiles. They were placed to the left of each plate and Stiles sat down in his usual seat. He pushed the chair next to him out with his foot and made a point to pat the seat loudly. 

"Sit down, Jackson. Is everything okay?"

Jackson nodded. "Of course. I was just thinking about something. I, uh, I asked your dad to call my parents and tell them he'd help keep an eye out for me. I thought it wouldn't hurt and it might even convince them to let me stay."

Stiles was surprised. "Really? He did that?"

"He did. I probably shouldn't have said anything because they're still going to say no and then all I've done is get your hopes up for no reason."

"My hopes are low. I've met your father."

Jackson wanted to object, but all he could do was agree. "Yeah, he doesn't leave a good impression on most people. But he's a great lawyer."

"Don't worry about it, okay? We're going to figure it out. And I haven't given up on the idea of teleporting to London, or creating a portal, or folding freakin' space-time to get to you. I'm gonna figure out how to be with you, Jackson."

Jackson took a deep breath. He pecked Stiles on the lips quickly because he could hear the sheriff descending the stairs. He sat down at the table next to Stiles as John took his usual seat at the head of the table.

"How was work?" Stiles asked.

"Pretty uneventful, but those days are better than the crazy ones. Parrish got angry that a telemarketer kept calling for him and he accidentally started a fire."

Stiles perked up. "Really? I didn't know Hellhounds could do that."

"Well, neither did Parrish. He looked so guilty the rest of the day. I think he'll be fine though. Nothing was damaged."

Stiles smiled. "I knew the guy was hot. I just didn't know he was on fire."

John and Jackson both gave Stiles disapproving looks. Jackson shook his head and put a spoonful of mashed potatoes on his plate. Just as John predicted, Jackson stood around and he watched Stiles prepare all the food. He offered to help multiple times, but Stiles was too busy telling a funny story about Boyd and Erica or something Allison once said to Scott that sent the guy into a tailspin.

Jackson knew that McCall could be fickle at times, and he wasn't the best friend he could be to Stiles even though he acted like he deserved an award for spending so much time with the guy. But watching and listening to Stiles somehow made him feel safe and comfortable like he was home for the first time in his life. He never felt like that with his parents.

John let out a sigh. "It's not appropriate to sexualize a law enforcement officer."

Stiles scoffed. "Since when? Melissa sexualizes you with her eyes all the time."

John paused and he couldn't hide his sudden interest. "She does?"

Stiles nodded as he put a chicken breast on his plate with a set of tongs. "Totally. It's the uniform. Leather jackets have the same effect."

It was Jackson's turn to be interested. "Derek used to wear leather jackets all the time. Are you saying you had the hots for him?"

Stiles looked between Jackson and his father. "I plead the fifth. You can't judge me for being a hormonal teenager. Has either of you noticed how hot the people in this town are? It's gotta be supernatural."

Jackson took a chicken breast and placed the serving dish in the center of the table. He put some salad on his plate and reached for the Ranch dressing. "He has a point there. I was born here."

John and Stiles looked at him. "Was that supposed to be a joke or a statement?"

"A joke," Jackson reassured them.

John took a bite of the chicken and mashed potatoes. "I thought the pack was going to join us for dinner. Are they running late?"

"No, they left early. Scott was rude to Jackson and I asked everyone to leave before something was said that couldn't be taken back."

"Smart move."

"It's not all his fault," Jackson rationalized. "You can't blame him for wondering if my showing up had to do with your spark since they've coincided. And everyone knows I said worse things to you and McCall over the years."

"That isn't forgotten," Stiles was quick to say. "I just don't think we should hold it against you. You were going through things and you don't get a free pass, but you don't have to take all the blame either. I also said some things I'm not proud of."

"Okay then," Jackson said, acknowledging that they had all made mistakes.

"This dinner is delicious. Thank you, boys."

"You were right. Stiles did all the work while I listened to him."

John smiled. "He likes it that way."

"So do I," Jackson confessed. Stiles kissed him then and there without care that the sheriff of Beacon Hills was watching.

They resumed eating their meal until Stiles could no longer stay silent. "Dad, did you get a chance to talk to Jackson's folks? He told me what he asked you to do."

John's expression was unreadable even after he wiped his mouth with a napkin. "I did make the call. I talked to Jackson's mother for twenty minutes. Jackson, your father is completely against the idea."

"What about my mother?"

"I got the impression that she was open to it, especially after my call and my promise that I'd look out for you until they got back to town. She's going to discuss it with him before they make a final decision."

Jackson was impressed. He didn't think anything would come of it, but it sounded to him that his mother was at least supportive of his need to be with the guy he loved. Of course, Jackson hadn't had the chance to tell her just how deep his feelings for Stiles were since it was all dropped on her like a bomb. "Thank you. I can't ask for anything better than that."

Stiles looked at his father. "Thanks for trying."

"It was the least I could do. I'm afraid the rest is out of my hands."

"I already have a passport," Stiles announced. "I could probably get a part-time job after school to save up money to visit you this summer. Ms. Morrell wrote it down as one of my goals for therapy."

Jackson smiled. The idea of them being separated didn't sound so heartbreaking when he knew Stiles was already working out a way to come visit him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	22. Apology/Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott apologizes to Jackson as Stiles makes a realization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit long.

Scott gathered the courage he needed as he stopped walking. Stiles looked up from his backpack as he put his notebooks into his locker. "I'm sorry I antagonized your boyfriend and called him a bad influence. I didn't mean to."

Stiles met his eyes and he could see that he was sincere. "Thanks, but I'm not the one you need to apologize to."

Scott looked like someone had punched him in the gut. "Really? Do I have to?"

"Yeah, Scott, you do. You'll feel better after you do it. He's coming for lunch today, so you can do it then."

"Great." His one word sentence lacked all enthusiasm.

"Don't worry. You can do it before everyone sits down so no one else hears you. I want you to get to know him like I do."

"That's not going to happen," Scott responded, sexualizing Stiles' statement.

"I'm talking about his personality. He can be caring and understanding. Two great qualities in a beta."

Scott shook his head emphatically. "No way. It's fine for him to be in my territory because I'm not overly controlling, but that doesn't mean I'm going to offer to be his alpha. We're like oil and water, Stiles."

"I was like that with him, too. Things change. Just try to accept him and forget about his past as a kanima. Be open to the rest happening naturally. I mean, Danny's already practically pack and it would do Jackson a lot of good to have a stable pack to help teach him what he needs to know."

Scott put his hands on his hips as Stiles pulled out his math textbook and notebook before he closed his locker. "Alright, I'll offer to train him like Derek trained me."

"What? I trained you." Stiles said. He specifically remembered the time he used a heart rate monitor to help Scott keep from changing into his beta form.

"Yes, you did, but Jackson knows the basics. He just needs some fine tuning. He didn't shift last night when I made him mad, right?"

Stiles couldn't deny that Scott was right about that. "True. Maybe it was because I was next to him? He told me I'm his anchor."

Scott seemed to understand something that Stiles didn't pick up on. "Oh. It's that serious?"

"Of course it is. I love him, dude. I get butterflies when I look into his eyes."

"Okay. I'll apologize and I'll give him a chance."

"Thank you. Do you want to walk with me to my math class?"

"I can't. I need to find Kira and walk her to English composition. See you next period."

* * *

"...so, I'm sorry for being an ass and treating you like you were manipulating Stiles. I hope that we can give each other a fresh start." Scott extended his hand. Jackson took it after a moment and shook it.

“Agreed. I’m sorry, too."

Stiles smiled as everyone sat around the table. The conversation was mostly focused on classes and plans for the rest of the day. Lydia and Kira were going shopping after school and Danny had a date with a guy from fifth period. Scott had plans with his mother, something about college planning, and Stiles figured he should do that with his father at some point.

The reality of Jackson leaving became more and more cemented as time went on and Stiles didn't want to waste a minute of their time. He looked at Jackson and he knew he was finally ready. He wanted to be with his boyfriend in every way possible and he needed to see if Jackson was ready.

Stiles ate his food quickly and he ignored the judgmental looks he got from more than a few people. When he was finished, he turned to Jackson. "Want to take a walk?"

"Absolutely."

Stiles told everyone he'd see them later and he left the cafeteria with Jackson. They walked through the locker room and outside to the lacrosse bleachers where they sat down. Jackson could see that Stiles wanted to say something and he waited patiently for him to find his words.

"I don't want to pressure you into anything, okay?"

Jackson nodded. “Okay…"

"I know it seems early and this has evolved really fast for both of us, but I'm sure about my feelings for you. I think we should..."

Jackson's eyes widened. "Are you trying to ask me to marry you?"

Stiles couldn't contain his laughter. "No way. Down the line, sure, but I'm not ready for that right now. This is me telling you that I'm ready to have sex with you. But only if you are, Jackson. There's no pressure here."

Jackson smirked. "You really want me bad, huh?"

"I do." Stiles had to look away from Jackson. The werewolf noticed how he blushed anyway and he reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Are you sure? We shouldn't do it before I leave just to beat the clock."

"I want to be with you whether you leave or stay. I love you, Jackson. I'm ready to wake up next to you in bed and pretend to complain about your morning breath. Does this freak you out?"

"No, it sounds nice. We could go to my place after school."

"We could go now," Stiles offered.

Jackson shook his head. "No way. I'm not going to let your father think I'm a bad influence on you. We need him to be supportive of us being together and I don't want to give him a reason to want me to leave."

"Fine. We could always go under the bleachers."

Jackson smirked. "Your first time should be special. Besides, there's already a couple down there, although I'm pretty sure they're only smoking."

"Really? Can they hear us right now?"

"No, they're on the other end. Come over to my house after school and I'll seduce you."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

Jackson kissed him. "I should go. You have class and I need to prepare for tonight."

Stiles knew that he meant he needed to get supplies. He was getting hard just thinking about what was going to happen. Jackson chuckled at his chemo-signals and kissed him goodbye. 

Stiles found Scott and got him alone before final period. He paced a few times before he looked into Scott's eyes. "Okay, you're my friend and I had to hear all about you and Allison. You owe me this."

The werewolf prepared himself. ”Okay. What's up?"

"Jackson and I are going to have sex after school and I'm really nervous. What if I'm bad? He's so much more experienced than I am."

Scott had a wide grin on his face; he stifled back his laughter. "Dude, you need to calm down. You're too tense. Sex should be fun."

"It will be," he hoped.

"Only if you relax. Jackson knows what he's doing so you should let him take the lead. Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Stiles stared. "I've been preparing for this moment since my balls dropped, Scotty. The fact that it's going to be with Jackson is unexpected and so, so hot. God, I'm not even gonna be able to last five seconds."

Scott grabbed his shoulders. "Look at me. You got this, man. Let him take the lead and just enjoy the experience."

Stiles rubbed the hickey on his neck. "That's actually good advice. Thank you, Scott."

"Anytime. Now let's get to class before they give us detention for being late."

* * *

Stiles knocked on the door and he waited for Jackson to let him in. He was late because he took a shower in the locker room after school. The werewolf opened the door wearing a purple robe and Stiles tried to reach for it to feel it. Jackson batted his hand away. "I got worried and thought you might have changed your mind.”

"I didn't," Stiles promised. "Today is the day that you make me a man."

Jackson couldn't hold back a smile. "I like the sound of that. Get your ass in here."

Stiles squeezed past and he took a look around the living room. He’d never been inside Jackson’s house before because he was never cool enough to go to the high school parties that he hosted. Jackson took his hand and led him down a long hallway.

“Are we alone?” Stiles asked him.

“Yeah, of course. The maid works every other day and the gardener only comes every other week. We have the house to ourselves.”

“Good. I’d hate to have an audience.”

Jackson led him into his bedroom and he closed the door. They were both nervous and Stiles thought the best way to get over their nerves was to get down to business as soon as possible. He pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it by the foot of the bed. Jackson turned back and licked his lips. “You’re lean. All that lacrosse practice has been paying off.”

“Yeah? I was hoping someone would notice.”

Jackson walked over and placed a hand over Stiles’ heart. The organ began to beat faster from his touch. “I’m sure all the guys have noticed.”

“You’re the only one that matters,” Stiles admitted. His hands lowered to the belt and he hesitated until Jackson gave his permission to continue. Stiles undid the fabric and the robe opened up.

“You’re beautiful,” Stiles said. His hands brushed Jackson’s shoulders as he pushed the robe off. It fell to the floor by their feet and Jackson was fully nude. “We’re really doing this right now.”

Jackson leaned in and kissed him. He was slow and gentile because he knew they had plenty of time. “Take off your pants.”

“Yes, sir.”

Stiles complied as he was backed toward the bed from Jackson’s advances. He fell back onto it and the werewolf climbed on top of Stiles, straddling him. “This is gonna be fun.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D
> 
> I had to go there.


	23. Coupling

They were sprawled out next to each other on Jackson's bed, a thin sheet covering their naked bodies. Jackson's eyes were focused on Stiles. The human seemed to still be swimming in his ecstasy. "That was amazing, Jacks."

"Which time?" Jackson asked with a raised eyebrow, his breathing slow and even.

"All three. It just got better and better. I'm seriously thinking about taking the bite because your stamina is...wow."

"Can sparks become werewolves?" Jackson wondered.

Stiles didn't know the answer. He wasn't really serious about taking the bite, but he couldn't deny that hours of sex with Jackson tipped the scales in favor of the bite over all the cons. He turned to face Jackson and smiled at him.

"We should have done this years ago."

Jackson agreed, but it didn't seem like it would have been possible. "I think I had to grow up to accept how much I love you. It's insane and a little bit scary. I didn't feel anything like this for Lydia. It's like you're always on my mind."

“That'll go away when you get tired of me."

Jackson knew it would never be possible. "That's impossible, babe."

Stiles smiled from hearing his nickname used with such affection. He knew losing Jackson was going to be hell. He was seriously debating stealing his passport and fleeing the country. "I don't want you to leave."

"I don't want to go. I wish my parents could understand how I feel about you."

"We'll show them. I'll visit them after you're gone and convince them to like me. I'll use magic if I have to."

Jackson chuckled. "Why not just use magic to change their minds and make them think it was their idea?"

"Don't tempt me to the dark side. You know, we're gonna have so much fun video chatting with each other."

"Yeah?" Jackson asked. He knew exactly what kind of activities they would get up to.

"Definitely. I'll visit you this summer and I'll switch to French next semester. That way, I can take the senior trip to Paris and ditch them to spend two weeks with you."

"Don't ditch them. Paris is beautiful. I'll meet up with you there so they don't report you as a missing person."

Stiles could imagine the look on his father's face after getting that phone call. "Good thinking."

Jackson moved closer to Stiles. The human moved into him and Jackson inhaled his scent. Stiles questioned which he would smell more of: himself or his boyfriend. 

Stiles took Jackson's hand and pressed their palms together. Jackson's fingers were slightly shorter than his and his whole body felt warmer because of the werewolf blood coursing through his veins. "I have a perfect idea."

"What's that?" The werewolf wondered.

Stiles' other hand lowered to the tender spot between Jackson's legs. "Round four?"

"You have the best ideas," Jackson told him, before he raised the sheet over their heads and made a new set of hickey's on Stiles' neck.


	24. Postgame Check In

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm uploading another chapter because the last one was tiny. This chapter is dedicated to rigger42 because they noticed an important detail that I dropped in the story and they left a comment about it.

"Hey. Did you get off early tonight?" Stiles dropped his backpack by the couch and he looked at his father.

John paused the Netflix show he was watching on the smart TV that Stiles convinced him to save up for. "Yeah, but I have to go back in tonight for a few hours. My counterpart from the next county has found evidence of a drug ring moving into the area and our departments are gonna pool our resources."

"That's efficient." 

Stiles scratched a spot on his neck without thinking about it. His shirt moved and revealed a series of hickeys that Jackson had gifted him with. His father raised both eyebrows and let out a slow sigh. "Is there any part of you that doesn't have those marks?"

Stiles sat down next to his father. He understood that his dad knew that he and Jackson had likely advanced their relationship to sex and he wasn't going to try to hide it. "A few. Jackson isn't into feet."

John groaned. "Kid, I did not need that imagine in my head."

"Sorry," he said half-heartedly. 

"Well, do you feel any different?"

Stiles looked at him. "Are we really going to talk about this?"

The man nodded. "I think we should. I’ve had sex, you know. We'll call this a post game check in."

"I feel loved," Stiles said finally after struggling to describe his elation. "I feel like I've made a connection with the person I was meant to. It wasn't some hookup just to get it out of the way. It meant something."

John listened to his son. He remembered losing his own virginity in the back seat of his father's truck on a secluded road with a girl from his sophomore art class. "Good. It's supposed to mean something or you aren't doing it right. Were you careful?"

"We used condoms, Dad. Not that it was necessary, but we wanted to be smart. You're not going to give Jackson a hard time for defiling your only son?"

John groaned again. "Can we not call it that? I have the urge to pull Chris Argent's wolfsbane bullets from my gun safe and go look for him."

"He'll be here soon. He stayed behind to clean up and then he was going to come back here. I feel like I need to call Scott. And Lydia. She should hear it from me, I think."

John admired his son's compassion. "I think that's a good idea."

Stiles stood and collected his backpack. He went upstairs to his bedroom and called Lydia since Scott already knew what he had been planning to do. She answered on the second ring.

"Stiles, is everything okay?"

"Everything is great. I need to talk to you about something."

"What did you do?"

Stiles knew he needed to be patient, but he hated that everyone assumed that he always did something wrong or troublesome. "Nothing bad. I need to talk to you about Jackson and I. I know it's probably gonna be awkward, but I don't want it to be."

She listened to his words and her voice was calm when she replied. "We can talk about anything."

"Thank you for saying that. It's just something that I don't know how to say because I don't know how you'll react. But you should hear it from me and not someone else."

"Then just say whatever it is. I'll react however I'm going to react and then we'll work through it."

"We had sex."

She chuckled. It was not the reaction he expected. "That's it?" Lydia asked. "I thought you were going to tell me he broke your heart and that I was gonna have to kill him."

"What are you talking about? He'd never do that. Why don't you seem surprised about this?"

"I kind of thought you were already having sex with the way you two have been looking at each other. I'm not a werewolf and even I could detect the sexual tension."

"So you're not mad that I banged your ex?"

"No way! He's really good at it."

"Yes, it was amazing. He was amazing. And the stamina he has as a werewolf is incredible."

"That part's new. He could barely last five minutes when he was with me."

"Oh," Stiles said. His thoughts began to spiral as he wondered if Jackson didn’t enjoy the experience with him as much as he had with Lydia in the past.

Lydia seemed to know exactly where his mind had gone. "It means he was focused on making it special for you, dummy."

"I'm so glad we can talk about this. I just didn't want Scott to say something and for you to hear and wonder why I hadn't told you."

"Never be afraid to talk to me about Jackson or anything else that you're going through. You're both my friends. And I'm happy you're no longer fair game for darachs looking for virgins to sacrifice."

"You and me both."

* * *

Jackson was on his way to his car when he heard a heartbeat approaching him rapidly from behind. He spun around in time to see Raya throw a vial at him. The glass vial broke on the concrete at his feet and he felt the air rush out of his lungs as the liquid inside of the vial began to vaporize and burn his skin like acid.

"That's a good dog," Raya said. Jackson fell to his knees and some of the broken glass cut his jeans and pierced his skin.

"What was that?" His voice was weak and he was growing more tired with each breath.

"A sleeping potion just for you. You really should have cleaned your blood off the dagger before you returned it to me, pretty boy. Your mate will be forced to surrender his spark to save your life."

Jackson's body continued to weaken and it was only seconds before he collapsed and lost consciousness. Raya kneeled down next to him and slipped a piece of paper into Jackson's hands. She made sure no one was watching her as she made her escape.

* * *

Stiles felt a shiver move throughout his entire body. He dropped his cell phone and ignored Lydia asking him if he was alright. He felt something inside of him twist in a way that felt wrong and his immediate thought was that Jackson was in danger.

He picked up the phone. "I have to go find Jackson. I think he's in trouble." He hung up before she could respond. He descended the stairs and his father saw the look on his face.

"What is it? What's happened?"

"I have to get to Jackson. He's in trouble."

"Do you know where he is?"

"At his house." Stiles knew the answer even though he wasn't sure how he knew it.

"I'll drive," John announced. He stood and followed Stiles outside to the cruiser.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> rigger42 knows that you should never give someone else your blood when magic is involved. Consider this a PSA.


	25. Discovery

Stiles was out of the cruiser before his father had completely stopped. It was dark and cool outside since the sun had gone down, but Stiles could still see Jackson's figure next to his Porsche due to the adequate illumination from the street lights. "Jackson!"

When his boyfriend didn't move, Stiles reached out and touched him. His father soon joined him. "Is he okay?"

"He won't wake up."

"Help me get him in the cruiser. We'll take him to the hospital."

Stiles shook his head. "No, we need to take him to the animal clinic. Deaton will know how to help him."

The two of them carefully loaded Jackson into the back seat of the vehicle and they got back into their own seats. John started the cruiser and stuck to the main roads.

"There was a glass vial filled with something."

"Could it have been wolfsbane?"

Stiles had no way of knowing for certain. "It could have been a special strain, but usually you can smell it if it's strong enough to incapacitate a werewolf."

"We'll be at the clinic soon. Why don't you call ahead and let Deaton know we're coming. We can pull into the back if he has clients."

Stiles did as his father suggested. He told Deaton that he thought Raya had hurt Jackson and explained that he wouldn't wake up. He promised to meet them outside to help them get Jackson into the clinic.

When they pulled in, the back light was on and Deaton was waiting by the back door. The open sign was turned to signal that the clinic was closed. John got out first and opened the door.

"Let's get him inside," Deaton suggested. They each grabbed a part of Jackson's body and they carried him through the door and placed him on one of the metal exam tables. Deaton began to examine him as Stiles explained about the glass vial.

"What's this?" Deaton pulled a crumpled piece of paper from Jackson's hand.

"It's a note," John realized.

Stiles peered over Deaton's shoulder and read it aloud. "Your spark for his life."

Deaton turned to Stiles. "I'm so sorry. I thought she could be reasoned with. She seemed to recognize that she wasn't going to win."

"She attacked my boyfriend."

"Oh. I wasn't aware you two were involved," Deaton admitted. 

"Can you help him?" John asked.

Deaton seemed unsure. "I can certainly try, but I suspect that she used some kind of concoction to put him in a deep sleep. He doesn't respond to painful stimuli. The good news is that he is still alive and his pulse is strong. He could survive like this for a few days."

"Can't I just use my spark to counteract her spell?"

Deaton shook his head. "Magic doesn't work like that. Reversing powerful spells isn't always possible. In this case, I suspect she used stolen magic to empower the spell. Reversing it while she is still alive is difficult. We would need her blood to..."

"I'll get it," Stiles said quickly. "I don't trust her to reverse this if I give up my spark. She'd probably let us both die to weaken the pack."

"I agree. I suggest you inform Scott and Lydia. The three of you should make this decision together. You should also contact Derek. He turned Jackson when he was an alpha and having him close by might help Jackson."

Stiles stood there unsure of what to do. He knew he needed to make Raya tell him how to undo the spell and that she wouldn't willingly give him that information. He looked to Deaton and then to his father. "This isn't Scott's battle. This is my fight."

"Son, you need to think about this rationally."

"I am. That bitch attacked my mate and I'm going to make her fix this."

"If she doesn't...?" Deaton asked.

Stiles looked into his eyes. "Then I'll kill her and bring back her blood."

He spun and walked out without anyone trying to stop him. They both knew it would be useless to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stiles thinks he's going to make Raya save Jackson. Do you think he'll succeed on his own?


	26. Advancement

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are again, readers. I hope you like this new chapter. It's a little longer since the last one I posted was so short.

Stiles wasn’t really planning on killing anyone. He was still overcoming what happened with the nogitsune and he wasn’t about to add another body and more guilt to the mix, even if it could be considered justifiable. Stiles didn’t think it was deep down, but their enemies shouldn’t mess with people that he loved and cared about.

He approached the nemeton after walking a mile. He was a little surprised that his father didn’t come out and try to stop him or at least offer him a ride to where he was headed. He didn’t think that part through and he was forced to exert physical energy. All that walking had a strange calming effect on him. He looked at the large tree that had continued to grow since he last saw it.

The energy that the nemeton was giving off was palpable. It felt like a warmth that vibrated with more force the closer he got. He put his hands against the bark of the tree and let his own energy brush against the nemeton’s. “It's me. I need your help.”

Silence. There weren’t any sounds that he could pick up with his human ears. He felt safe knowing that no one was stalking up behind him, but he still turned and looked back to be sure. He felt the bark of the tree grow warm and he pulled his hands away. He got his answer.

“Thanks. So, here’s the deal: Raya is abusing her spark and murdering other sparks to steal their power. I need to stop her while simultaneously saving my werewolf boyfriend from whatever she did to him. Any ideas?”

He was met with more silence, but his arcane senses told him that he was no longer alone.

“I can help you.”

Stiles turned back toward the sound of the voice. He watched in surprise as Derek emerged from the darkness of the preserve. He was followed by Scott and Kira.

“We can help you,” Scott corrected. “If you’ll let us.”

Stiles knew he had few options. “I might as well take the help. She wasn’t giving me anything anyway.”

Scott looked apologetic as he spoke. “Your dad said you wanted to kill her. You know we can’t cross that line.”

“I know, Scott. I know we can’t kill her, but we’ve got to figure out some way to defeat her. I’m not powerful enough to take away her spark. That’s why I came to the nemeton. I thought it might be able to give me something to go on.”

“We tracked your scent,” Kira said. “Well, _they_ did. I tracked your energy. It should be easy enough to find her when we’re ready. All we need to figure out is the plan.”

“Did Deaton have any ideas?” Stiles asked.

“He didn’t have any thoughts on how to stop Raya, but he did have an idea on how to help Jackson.”

“Really? How?”

“Your blood.”

Stiles was getting squeamish just thinking about it. “Excuse me? My blood?”

“Because of your connection to each other. Deaton thinks your blood, an incredibly powerful substance for magical users, can be used to call Jackson back to you. It’s only a theory,” Derek said. “You’re his best chance, Stiles.”

Stiles acknowledged that it was the only thing they had to go on. He realized then that Derek knew all about his relationship with Jackson. “I was going to tell you, Derek. We’ve just been busy spending time together.”

“I gathered that. You smell like him.”

“You really do,” Scott added. His expression told Stiles that his best friend was just giving him a hard time.

Kira crossed her arms as she looked at the tree. “Are you sure that thing is safe?”

Stiles didn’t know the answer. “I think it’s whatever it needs to be in the moment. Protector or warrior, passive or aggressive, it all depends on the stimuli to become what it needs to be. We know it healed Jennifer Blake.”

Derek stiffened at the mention of her name. “You might be on to something. It did help her even though she used it to cause chaos. That means it isn’t good or evil. Maybe it can take away a spark’s power?”

“Possibly. But Raya would have to be here for that to happen and I don’t think we could convince her to come willingly.”

“Why do we have to ask? She attacked one of us,” Scott said.

“Thank you for saying that.”

Scott flashed him a smile before he turned to Kira. "This is what I think we should do."

* * *

Stiles stared at the glowing ball of light no larger than a baseball. It hovered over the palm of his hand and inched forward to signal that Raya, the person he was seeking, was in the building directly ahead. "This is it."

Scott looked at the gas station and sniffed the air. He turned to Stiles and nodded. "Let's do it.”

There was a single vehicle parked in an employee section not too far from a dumpster. No one else was around on the secluded road.

They approached the entrance cautiously. Scott stopped when he met resistance from a mountain ash barrier. Stiles deactivated it and created a break in the circle with ease. They each opened one of the double doors and walked through shoulder to shoulder. Raya looked up from a magazine she was reading from behind the counter.

"You brought a friend."

"He insisted," Stiles said. It was the truth.

She eyed Scott for a long moment. "So you're the true alpha. I thought you'd be taller. Have you come to kill me?"

"We aren't killers," Scott answered. 

"I know. That makes things so much easier. Have you come to surrender your power to me, Stiles?"

Stiles shook his head. "That's not happening. We both know it would kill me."

"Your life for your boyfriend's. That's the way this works. I won't tell you how to reverse the spell until I get what I want."

Scott growled and took a few steps forward, his eyes red. She didn't see that Derek and Kira had come in through the back entrance and were blocking her escape. They stood and waited for Stiles and Scott to make the first move.

Raya closed the magazine and pointed at the security cameras. "Careful. You don't want to leave proof of what you are."

Stiles saw the DVR device mounted to a wall behind the counter. He felt his spark push out from his body and the device was ripped off the wall and collided with the floor twice leaving pieces of electronic equipment in a trail to its landing site. "There's no need to worry about that."

Raya smirked as though she had all the power. Stiles supposed that she did in that she was the one with the information he needed. "You shouldn't have done that. Now that there's no security cameras, I can do this." She pushed both arms up over her head and all four of them flew up and collided with the plywood ceiling. They all fell to the ground at the same time. Raya laughed at the damage she caused. "It's good you brought playmates. I came prepared, too."

A new ring of mountain ash circled around each set of them. Scott and Stiles stood up and pushed against the barrier. It pushed back and remained firm. "I can't break through," Scott realized.

"How is it holding me?" Stiles inquired.

Raya cracked her knuckles as though the job was finished. "I mixed in some iron shavings. It's not enough to block all of your power, but it helps keep it low enough for you to be trapped."

"Any ideas?" Scott asked Derek. The beta shook his head as he pushed against his own barrier. Kira repeated his actions without success. 

Stiles met their captor's eyes. She was giddy from her plan going right, but there was also some uncertainty below the surface. Stiles held his hand out to Scott.

“Huh?" Scott asked, confused about what Stiles was trying to do.

"Take my hand, Scott. We have to work together."

Scott took his hand. He didn't know what Stiles had planned. The spark closed his eyes and he sensed his energy begin to merge with the true alpha's. Raya watched curiously as Scott's eyes began glowing and didn't let up. Stiles focused his spark and then opened his eyes. Their pack bond was strong enough to power the connection, but their bond as friends made the connection stable. 

The mountain ash began to levitate off the floor as Stiles' eyes began to glow red like an alpha's from the shared power. The block on his spark fell away as the ash turned to tiny beams of light that fell to the floor and dimmed out of existence. Scott and Stiles both pushed their free hands forward and Raya fell to her knees and was held there.

"That's not possible!"

"Our minds are linked," they said in unison. "All that we are is unified. You are powerless to stop us."

Stiles and Scott stopped holding hands and the red in Stiles' eyes receded. He walked until he was standing over her and he kneeled down so that they were on the same level. "I warned you what would happen if you messed with us again."

Scott walked over to Kira and Derek to make sure they were okay. When they turned back, Stiles and Raya were gone.


	27. The Moment

Raya was unconscious at the base of the nemeton. The air around them was buzzing with energy and Stiles had trouble catching his breath for a second. He reached out and touched the nemeton for support so that he wouldn't fall over. "What a rush! I didn't think that would actually work."

He looked down at Raya and then closed his eyes and pictured his consciousness meeting the nemeton's awareness. After a moment, he reopened his eyes. A golden rope of energy protruded from the ground underneath the sacred tree and connected with Raya's solar plexus. There was a loud snap as the rope of energy pulled a swirling vortex from Raya and pulled it into the dirt. Stiles felt the nemeton growing stronger from the spark it appropriated.

"Thank you," he told it. 

He pulled a Swiss army knife from his pocket. It was something he always carried with him now that werewolves and hunters were a thing in his life. He used the blade to cut a small section of Raya's palm to collect a sample of her blood. The nemeton healed the cut before he had a chance to put the knife away.

Raya began moving and she opened her eyes. She looked up at Stiles and began to cry when her efforts to use her spark failed. "What did you do?!” She demanded. Her voice echoed through the trees.

"I brought you here and asked this sacred tree for help. The nemeton chose a side. It removed your spark. You're as powerless as my unconscious boyfriend."

She gritted her teeth and spat at him. "You killed him! I'll never tell you how to save him and he'll be dead in a few days. That’s on you! The prioric slumber will drain his life force and you’ll lose him forever."

Stiles looked at her. "I'll save him. I'm a primary spark with a pack of werewolves, a kitsune, a banshee, and a couple of emissaries behind me. You're all alone. You're nothing."

He turned and walked away. He made it three steps before his skin tingled and the cold in the air was replaced with warmth and the sounds of people having a conversation. Deaton, his father, and Lydia looked up and each raised their eyebrows in surprise at his arrival.

The massive expense of energy caused Stiles to stumble. He fell to his knees and he took a few deep breaths to center himself. 

"Are you okay?” Deaton asked.

"I'm fine. It turns out riding the telluric currents takes a lot out of you."

"What happened? Did the plan work?" Lydia asked.

Stiles nodded. "She's de-powered and probably still screaming profanities at me. The nemeton took her spark and she’ll never be able to perform magic again."

"I don't know if I’m okay with how dangerous all this has been, but I'm glad you're okay." John said to his son. He helped him to his feet and gave him a hug.

"She told me that this is something called a prioric slumber. Does that help you at all?" He asked Deaton.

"I've heard of it. It's fueled by the body's life force and slowly depletes it until the victim succumbs to its draining effects. The body just dies."

Stiles heard a vehicle pull into the parking lot outside. He wasn't surprised to see Scott, Derek, and Kira rush in. They weren’t expecting for Stiles to be there. Scott hugged Stiles. "Don't you ever disappear on us like that again. We didn't know what had happened."

Stiles hugged his best friend back. "It worked. She's still someone we should keep an eye on, but she has no access to magic anymore.” He smiled at Derek and Kira, both of whom seemed to be happy to see that he was okay.

Deaton left the room to check one of his books. He returned a few seconds later with one in his hand and it was open to an entry. "I found mention of the spell and a potential remedy. I'm afraid I don't have the materials, but I could have them by tomorrow."

Stiles pulled the pocket knife from his pocket and walked it to Deaton. "I have some of her blood. We should save it in case we need it."

"Good idea."

Stiles thought for a moment. He didn't know how long Jackson had before he was going to succumb to the spell and he didn't want to put off trying something to help the guy he loved. "I want to try the other thing. The thing with my blood."

Deaton closed the book and nodded. "Alright. Take a little time to recover while I gather the necessary supplies. Scott, will you please get the juniper berries from the cabinet in my office?"

"Sure."

Lydia took the pocket knife. "I'll take care of that for you."

"Thanks. Make sure to put on gloves."

"You know it," she replied. 

There was a flurry activity as half of the group went about their business of collecting things in various rooms. Stiles walked to an empty chair and sat down. Derek sat next to him. "I'm okay with you and Jackson. I thought I should say that."

"Thanks. I'm glad you approve."

"I may not be an alpha anymore, but I can still snap his neck if he ever hurts you. I'll make sure he knows that."

"Thanks?"

"Jackson and I don't talk. That's my fault. I'll let him know he can count on me if he ever needs anything. I'll look out for him for you."

Stiles met into his eyes. "That really means a lot, Derek."

The werewolf's reply was to roll his eyes. "Don't take this to mean that I like you or anything. You're barely tolerable."

Stiles laughed. "I would never presume to think someone with your level of sourwolfness could like anyone." It was a joke and they both understood that the other was pack, as close as if they had been born in the same family. They had each other's backs.

It was another fifteen minutes before Lydia was finished collecting the blood and Deaton had gathered the necessary materials. They were all standing around the exam table as the emissary lit an incense mixture made from the juniper berries. "This purifies the space and makes sure nothing can take advantage of the exposed energies."

Deaton cleaned Jackson's palm with an alcohol wipe and gave one to Stiles to do the same thing. He used a weapon to slice a four inch cut on Jackson's hand and then handed the weapon to Stiles. Since they were going to be swapping blood, cleaning the blade didn't seem all that important.

Stiles handed the knife to Scott and gave him a look that told the werewolf he would have to do it or he'd pass out trying to gather the courage to do it himself. Scott acted quickly and Stiles pulled his hand back from the sudden pain. “Damn."

Scott's gaze was a mixture of apologetic and amused. Stiles focused as he pressed his palm to Jackson's and held on. "Wake up. Wake up. _Wake up_."

His connection to Jackson formed rapidly and it made his eyes roll into the back of his head. Stiles felt his feelings for Jackson rise to the surface and he could also feel how the werewolf felt about him. Their bond, like his and Scott's and his and Derek's, had become unbreakable.

Jackson inhaled a large gasp of air and then he sat up and looked at everyone staring at him.

"It's okay, Jackson. You're fine. You were attacked and Stiles brought you back," Lydia explained.

Stiles felt the rush diminish a little bit and his eyes returned to normal. He smiled at his boyfriend as the werewolf frowned. "You're bleeding." 

Jackson separated their hands and looked at the cut. "I'm yours and you're mine. We swapped blood, sweetie."

Jackson laughed. "You're going with 'sweetie?'"

“What can I say? I’ve watched too much British television."

"I love you," Jackson confessed.

"I love you, too."

They kissed to the applause of all their allies. Stiles hugged Jackson as Deaton began to bandage his cut. Stiles explained everything and filled in the gaps about what happened at the nemeton when he was alone with Raya.

“It sounds like a lot of work,” Jackson acknowledged.

"You're worth it," Scott told him. "Welcome to the pack, Jackson."


	28. Communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to go ahead and upload another chapter. Forgive any spelling or grammar mistakes.

They were inseparable that night. John gave them an amused look as he poked his head into Stiles' room to say goodnight. They were curled together on Stiles' bed, both of them asleep and recovering from the drain that they had been through. John closed the door and retreated to his own room.

Stiles was awake seven hours later after the sun had come up. Jackson felt him move slightly and the werewolf pulled him closer to his body as he inhaled his boyfriend's scent. "You smell good."

Stiles frowned. He knew that couldn't be possible. He thought he needed one hell of a cleansing shower and a little smudge of sage to get all the extra energies away from him. "You're cute when you're asleep," Stiles told him.

"What time is it?" Jackson asked, his eyes opening only slightly.

"Just after eight. I'm late for school."

"You stopped a rogue spark and woke me from a sleep coma, babe. I think you've earned a day off from school. You need to recuperate or whatever."

Stiles kissed his forehead. "I'll just go late. I have a test in fifth period that I shouldn't miss, not that I've studied for it."

Jackson shook his head. "Stay here with me. We can stay in bed all day."

"I stink enough as it is, Jackson. You don't want my hormones coming into play."

Stiles heard a knock at his door and the spark sat up with widened eyes. "Shit. We fell asleep in my bed. Uh, come in!"

Jackson didn't move a muscle as the door opened and the sheriff walked through. "You're late for school, Stiles. Are you staying home today?"

Stiles looked at him and did his best if- _you_ -think-I-should face. "Maybe for just a few hours. Last night took a lot out of me."

John accepted the answer. "It's probably best that you stay home and recover. I'm going back in to work on the new task force I told you about. You two remember the rule, huh?"

Stiles rolled his eyes. "We haven't forgotten. I guess we'll just have to bang in the back seat of the jeep in the Wal-Mart parking lot."

John plugged his ears and walked away. "I did not hear that. Behave yourselves."

Jackson laughed. "Your dad is a cool guy. I wish my father had his level of chill."

"Yeah, that's got to be hard to deal with."

Jackson laughed at the understatement. "Now you know who I modeled my winning personality from. Let's not talk about our fathers while we're this close together."

Stiles raised an eyebrow. "My dad literally just reminded us of the rule."

"Then we'll go to my place and take a shower. Together."

"Let's start with breakfast, Romeo."

Jackson looked at him. "What I want doesn't get served on a plate." He raised his eyebrows suggestively to make sure Stiles got his meaning.

"Really?"

Jackson nodded. "I want to-"

He was cut off by the sound of his phone vibrating. He jumped over Stiles and landed with his feet on the floor in a way that only a werewolf could achieve. He grabbed his phone from the pocket of his jacket and took a moment to read the text message that came through. 

"Is everything okay?” Stiles finally asked. He hated uncomfortable silences.

Jackson didn't know how to answer his boyfriend. "It's a text from my mom. She wants me to get to the house as soon as possible."

"Maybe she wants to do another video chat?"

"No, she says she's there waiting for me. Um, I have to go. I'd invite you, but I think we should talk alone."

Stiles didn't hesitate. "I get it. Drive safely and call me when you're done talking, okay? Send me a text to let me know you're okay or whatever."

"I will," Jackson promised him. He left quickly without giving Stiles a kiss goodbye. The spark picked out an outfit and left his room to take a shower.

* * *

"Mom? Are you here?" Jackson asked loudly. He bolted into the living room and froze when he saw that his mother was waiting for him.

"There's no need to shout. You need a shower and a shave."

"Why did you come home? You spent months planning this vacation."

"My son needed me. It's been a long time since you needed me, Jackson. Go get cleaned up and then we'll talk."

Jackson wanted to press the issue right then and there. He was never really a fan of patience even though his parents had tried to teach him that it was sometimes necessary. He nodded and retreated to his bedroom.

When he emerged twenty minutes later, he was wearing clean clothes and had shaved as his mother suggested. He could only imagine how much she would object if she saw his beta form and the added hair that came with it. Jackson joined his mother on the couch.

"We haven't talked, really talked, in years. That's as much my fault as it is yours," she recognized. "It occurred to me yesterday that I don't really know you. I know your favorite color and where you want to go to college. I know the basics, but I don't know so many things."

Jackson turned so that they were facing each other. "I wasn't ready to let you in. I couldn't make myself say the things I needed to."

"It's not going to happen overnight, but I want you to know that you can tell me anything. There's nothing you could do that would make me love you any less."

"I love you, too."

She smiled. "So, tell me about this boy you're infatuated with."

"We're in love. It's important for you to know that."

She took a beat to let that sink in. "Okay, well, tell me about him. All I know is that he is the son of the sheriff and that he kidnapped you."

"That was a misunderstanding. His name is Stiles. He's smart and sarcastic. He's had the same best friend for most of his life, so he's very loyal."

"I see. Is he handsome?"

"Very. We'd make cute babies if two guys could somehow accomplish it."

She took that in. "You never know. Science advances everyday. Do you want children, Jackson?"

"I haven't really thought about it." His thoughts drifted to Stiles and how good a father he would be. He could picture three little kids following him around and Stiles effortlessly caring for all three of them as though it was his superpower.

"I hope you'll consider it down the line. I do want grandchildren."

"We'll make that kind of decision after we're married. I know it probably sounds weird to you since you just found out about all this, but I can see myself being married to him someday."

Jackson gauged his mother's reaction. She seemed to be taking it better than he expected her to. "Then I expect to meet him sooner rather than later."

"He'd love to meet _you_. The idea of meeting dad probably terrifies him."

His mother looked into his eyes. "And is he a werewolf?"

Jackson's mouth dried up and his heart skipped a couple of beats. "A what?"

She took a drink of her tea. "Your father has had all sorts of clients, Jackson. We know all about Beacon Hills and the supernatural world. My mother was best friends with one for most of my childhood before they moved away. I already know you're one."

"How could you possibly know that?"

"My mother was something of a seer. She could sense out the supernatural in people. She taught me how to develop the gift and now I can tell if a person is a werewolf, like you, or a banshee, like Lydia Martin."

Jackson was having a difficult time believing his mother until he realized that he was, in fact, a real werewolf and that Lydia was an actual banshee. His boyfriend could do magic; they lived in a world where anything was possible. "Stiles isn't a werewolf. He's a spark."

She placed her cup down on the table. "I see."

"He saved my life last night. Another spark tried to use me to steal his power and she put me under a sleep spell. Stiles and the pack defeated her and took away her spark so she can't hurt anyone. Stiles woke me up."

She smiled at him despite how much she was concerned for her son's safety. "I'm glad to know you have people that care enough about you to help you when you need it."

"That's what Stiles was doing when he abducted me. I was a kanima for a little while."

She frowned. "That's one I'm not familiar with."

"I'll tell you all about it someday. You know, I don't have this support system in London. I'm an outsider and the werewolf packs don't trust me there. I have a pack here."

She patted him on the shoulder. "Your father and I already discussed this. We agreed that you should get to decide where you live as long as you continue doing so well. You still need good grades for college."

He reached out and hugged her. She hugged her son back. "Thank you, mom."

She wiped away a fresh group of tears that fell from her eyes. "Well, I suppose we should get school squared away first."

"How about we go out for breakfast so we can talk more?”

"I'd like that."


	29. Regroup

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another chapter because I appreciate all the wonderful comments and kudos that I've been receiving. Writing is so much more fun when people are actually enjoying what I wrote. Thanks for all of your support!

"Jackson?"

A figure emerged through Stiles' now open window. The werewolf smiled at his boyfriend. "Sorry. Did I scare you?"

"Not at all. I was hoping it was you since you haven't been answering your phone or responding to my texts." Stiles wasn't angry. He was concerned.

"I was with my mom. We went to breakfast and we ended up talking about a lot of things. My parents know I'm a werewolf."

Stiles looked away from his homework on the computer screen. Lydia texted his assignments in the classes they shared and he thought he'd get a head start on them. He had the urge to kiss his boyfriend’s sexy face. He pushed it aside to ask if he'd lost his mind. "You told them? That's...I don't know the right word to use."

Jackson sat down on the floor in front of Stiles. "Actually, my mom is some kind of seer that can sense the supernatural in people. She knew I was a werewolf before I left town and she told my father, who's represented supernatural clients. He gets payed well for his discretion."

"Wow. That's so weird they already knew. Has she known any sparks?"

"None, but I know she's interested in meeting you. I thought we could organize a party at my place and the pack could come."

Stiles was impressed. "That's a good idea. It could double as your going away party."

Jackson shook his head. "No, I don't like how that sounds. How about a celebration party since I'm staying right here in Beacon Hills."

Stiles threw himself to the floor and he hugged Jackson. "This better not be a joke. I'll turn you into a rodent and let Scott chew on you."

"It's no joke. My parents said I can stay if I want to. I really want to."

Stiles failed at fighting back tears from the overwhelming happiness he was feeling. Jackson wiped them away with his thumbs. "That's the best news I've ever gotten."

Jackson kissed him. “Me, too. Do you want to come over now and meet my mom?"

Stiles nodded. "Wait. She won't think I'm a delinquent for not being in school?"

"No way. I told her how you saved my life. And I know she's going to love you."

"I hope so."

"I know so."

Jackson stood and he helped Stiles up to his feet. "Have you heard anything about Raya?"

Stiles wished he had more information to share. "Deaton said he went to talk to her and she either wasn't home or wouldn't answer the door. She'll probably get fired from leaving the gas station without an attendant last night. I almost feel bad about that."

"Don't feel bad. You gave her a chance to coexist peacefully with us. She chose to attack us."

Stiles kissed Jackson's neck. "How do you know the right thing to say?"

Jackson scented Stiles' hair as he hugged him. "I've had a lot of practice saying the wrong thing. Now, I just say the opposite."


	30. Happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for my late upload. I wasn't happy with the way the story was ending and I kept trying to stretch it out needlessly for my own enjoyment. Sometimes things are just ready to end and I think that's where we're at. Enjoy the last chapter, friends.

Stiles smiled and he shook Paige Whittemore's hand gently. "It's great to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Stiles. Thank you for all you did to protect Jackson and break the spell he was under."

Stiles took the compliment, but he felt that it was important that she know it was a group effort. "Thanks, but I didn't do it alone. Everyone in the pack did their part."

She noticed at the way Jackson's eyes remained focused on him. "Then I'll have to thank everyone. Jackson, are you planning on introducing me to the pack anytime soon?"

Jackson looked at her. "Actually, Stiles and I were discussing having a party to celebrate that I get to stay. I'm sure everyone would love to come."

"Great," she said, suddenly excited about the prospect of hosting an event for her son's friends. "We'll keep it far more casual than our usual parties."

Stiles looked at Jackson and then at his mother. "I'd be happy to help in any way I can. Lydia's the taskmaster of our group, but I have baking skills that could come in handy."

"You cook?"

Stiles felt self conscious for a moment until he realized it was genuine surprise. "My mother died when I was little and my father worked late, so I taught myself to cook and bake so we didn't starve."

Jackson, sensing Stiles was slightly uncomfortable, wrapped his arm around his boyfriend’s waist. ”I’ve tasted his food. You'd be impressed."

"Then our kitchen is at your disposal,” Paige offered. "It might be best to not have the staff around if there's going to be talk of the supernatural."

"That's a good point," Jackson noted. "Are you thinking this weekend?"

Mrs. Whittemore tapped her finger on her chin a few times as she thought about what she had planned. The fact that she was still supposed to be on vacation for the weekend meant that her schedule was clear. ”That should work fine. Your father will miss it, but it might be better for him to meet everyone individually."

"I would really like to meet him," Stiles revealed. He fully intended to be with Jackson for the rest of his life and he hoped to be on good terms with the man. He didn’t care if he had to soften the guy up a little at a time as long as he didn’t stand in the way of Jackson’s happiness.

"He's handsome and brave," Paige joked. "You picked a good one, Jackson. Let me get some paper and we can start planning the details."

* * *

Stiles was in bed and almost asleep when the window slid open and Jackson climbed through. He took off his jacket and tossed it on the back of the desk chair. He slipped off his shoes and approached the bed. "Move over."

Stiles happily complied. Jackson got in under the covers and warmed him up. "I couldn't stay away. I missed you too much."

"I missed you, too. I was hoping you'd come."

Jackson smirked. "That explains the text message I got twenty minutes ago that told me to come over right away."

"I'm glad you came.” He looked into Jackson’s eyes and found himself wondering if he would see them in his sleep. He hoped that was how it worked because they were the kind of eyes that needed to be looked into.

“I have to be back home before my mom wakes up."

"You'd better set an alarm then," Stiles advised. 

"I can't move right now."

Stiles reached for his phone on the table next to his bed. He set an alarm for four in the morning and then returned the phone. He kissed Jackson on the cheek and then put a hand over his body. “I love you, Jackson. I’m glad you’re staying with me.”

“I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for your readership and support. It truly makes me enjoy the writing process when I know there are people out in the world that are enjoying what I'm creating.

**Author's Note:**

> Reviews/Comments are always appreciated.


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